


The Girl and Her Demon

by sunsetbIvd



Category: Naruto
Genre: Age Difference, Breeding Kink, Cervix Penetration, Demon AU, Demon/Human Relationships, Demons, EMPHASIS ON TIME SKIPS, Eventual Smut, F/M, Fluff and Smut, Jealousy, Kinda, Obsessive Behavior, Porn With Plot, Possessive Behavior, Protectiveness, Romance, Rough Sex, Shameless Smut, Short Story, Size Difference, Size Kink, Time Skips, when it gets there it gets filthy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-24
Updated: 2019-02-25
Packaged: 2019-09-26 13:33:04
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 6
Words: 21,554
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17142671
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sunsetbIvd/pseuds/sunsetbIvd
Summary: He was an apex predator, the Uchiha patriarch sitting by his lonesome at the top of the food chain. Until he met her.





	1. The Demon with Crimson Eyes

Sakura Haruno was at the tender age of seven when she found herself lost in the forests outside of Konoha. As the sun dipped below the horizon, shades of amber and gold faded from the sky, yielding to the starless indigo night.

Under the moonlight, she wandered the endless maze of trees until she stumbled upon a demon, sitting under a particular delicate tree with blossoms that swayed in the night’s gentle breeze. The demon had long, spiking ebony hair that brushed the ground and baleful crimson eyes that swirled and glowed in the darkness. Large regal horns that sloped up and curved back, the color of midnight, adorned his head like a crown. He painted an imposing image of magnificence—a dark king—despite the myriad of bleeding wounds that soaked the very ground he sat on.

He was an Uchiha.

The Uchihas were an infamous clan of demons that resided far in the southeastern territory of the Land of Fire. They were seldom found around these parts, and even when they were, the unfortunate soul that came upon them usually didn’t make it out alive to tell the tale. Their very name struck fear in even the strongest hearts. Not that the Uchihas were inherently aggressors, no.

Throughout shinobi history, the perpetual war between Konoha and the Uchihas was one of the most bleak. War wasn’t even the appropriate term anymore. Perhaps in the beginning, but it hadn’t been a true war for decades. It had evolved to reconnaissance and espionage, black operations and assassinations. As the years progressed, the on-going battle had become increasingly one-sided—not in the favor of humans.

But it hadn’t always been that way.

Long ago, the Uchihas were a part of the Konohagakure. Legend has it that the vicious, warmongering leader befriended a human, who became the first hokage, Senju Hashirama. The Shodai believed in unity and equality, and once, the ruthless Uchiha patriarch did as well. That changed when Hashirama’s younger brother led the campaign to segregate and oppress all demons. He refused to look beyond their bloody history; didn’t believe in the Uchiha’s capacity for change. That was the Nidaime’s first mistake.

They say you pay for your forefather’s sins. Sakura’s people were once hunters. Now they were the hunted.

 

— x —

 

Sakura’s first thoughts coming across the injured demon was neither fear nor panic, despite the sordid tales of the Uchiha demons she heard whispered throughout her youth, but rather intrinsic concern and a touch of wide-eyed curiosity. The Haruno clan was one of the last to join Konoha, but a clan of highly regarded and respected medics nonetheless. The value of life had been engrained in her from the day she learned to walk. But aside from her mounting worries counting the number of injuries that marred his body, she had never seen something so dangerous and otherworldly.

As she carefully approached, sandals crunching through fallen leaves, the demon pinned her with a vaguely threatening gaze. A faint shudder rippled through her small body under the oppressive energy that filled the air.

“Do you wish to relinquish your life, little girl?” Madara growled, amplifying his innate killing intent. He was surprised that a mere slip of a mortal was able to see through the defensive genjutsu he used to hide the area. The poison must have been getting to him.

Despite his injured state, he still exuded lethal power, but she was either oblivious to it or ignored it because she continued towards him.

Cognitively impaired, he decided.

Stopping about a foot from him, far closer than any human had dared ventured and lived to see the next sunrise, Sakura slowly raised her small hands, almost as if careful not to startle an injured animal. “That must hurt,” she whispered, her large sea-foam green eyes staring at the wounds on his neck and face. “I can heal you.”

The rustling burgundy plates of his armor was her only warning before Madara’s hand shot out and grabbed her by the neck, raising her slight frame a couple inches off the ground. She was so small that his fingers met at the back of her neck, tangling in her offending pink locks. So terribly delicate. He could snap it like a twig. Even while sitting, he towered over her.

She should’ve known that a predator wounded was at its most dangerous state.

“Your kind seems to have a death wish,” Madara murmured, minutely tightening his grip on her windpipe. Sakura half coughed, half choked and lifted her tiny hands to the larger bloody one holding onto her life.

This was a position Madara was well acquainted with—being the judge, jury and executioner. He briefly noted the stark contrast between her little pale hands against his large bloody one. His eyes roamed back up to her wide unguarded eyes, not an ounce of fear in those green depths.

His eyebrows furrowed. He was well aware that humans were generally unintelligent and foolish creatures, but she seemed to excel at those traits even more so.

On the receiving end of the glare, pink brows knitted in concentration for a moment before her hovering hands began to glow green. A cool soothing feeling rushed over his wounds, he could feel his skin gradually knitting the open gash over his knuckles. Sweat broke out on her forehead as the little pinkette began to breathe heavily.

She was using what insignificant chakra she had to heal him, Madara realized.

He abruptly dropped her on the ground, bewildered that the little human was trying to help him.

Sakura hastily regained her footing and dusted off her floral vermillion yakuta before raising her glowing green hands to him yet again.

“That’s enough.” Madara stopped her with a menacing glower. “You’re at the brink of exhaustion from healing a mere cut on my hand. Your pitiful chakra will not make any more progress on me.”

She flinched. “But—”

“I’m a demon. We naturally have a quick regenerative system,” he explained with irritation, though not quite sure why. Maybe to shut the small human up, hoping that she would scurry off so he didn’t have to resort to brute force.

He didn’t like how unpredictable she was. Humans were supposed to cower or flee before him. Cry and beg for their life. This was something he didn’t know how to deal with. She stirred memories of a time long passed, when his younger brother had brought home a stray kitten that was far too eager. Just like the kitten, he knew the pink-haired brat before him was a harmless nuisance. Far too naïve and perhaps suicidal, but harmless. Killing things that couldn’t fight back wasn’t in his repertoire.

Sakura released a small huff of defeat and lowered her hands, the soft green glow abruptly disappearing.

“Sakura-chan! Sakura-chan where are you?!” The pinkette swirled around when she heard the familiar voice call her from a distance.

Quickly turning back to the demon that radiated lethal power, she rushed out, “I’m Sakura! What’s your name?”

Madara stared at her in contemplative silence, only the sound of rustling leaves and crickets chirping between them. The moon was full in the cloudless indigo sky.

“Sakura.” He finally broke the stillness, testing the name on his tongue. He eyed her long, flowing locks. How befitting.

“Yes?” She waited eagerly.

“Run along human, before I decide not to let you go alive.”

Not put off by his dark response, Sakura shot him a bright smile in return. “I’ll come back with food tomorrow, I promise!” The she lowered her voice conspiratorially, leaning towards him slightly. "And I won't tell anyone." 

Madara felt a vein in his temple pulse furiously at her audacity while he watched her tiny frame trot away in the direction of the voice. When she disappeared, he leaned back against the bark behind him and closed his eyes. On his lap, his resting hands flexed, feeling the stretch of the tender newly knitted skin on his knuckles.

He wouldn’t admit it, but the little human had vaguely stirred his curiosity.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, thank you for reading the first chapter of my very first attempt at writing fanfiction. I had to get this out for Madara's birthday today!
> 
> I started this story last month purely for self-indulgence, intending to make it a short, filthy, smut filled one-shot for my OTP, but it has taken a life of its own! I have about 70% of the story written that requires heavy, HEAVY editing. I didn't look up how to plan or plot a story until I already wrote ~20k words of standalone scenes and realized I had no idea where it was going and what I was doing, so everything is a mess basically. *laughs nervously*
> 
> Just a heads up, there will be multiple time skips. I'm not sure I know how to write in a linear fashion. Sorry for any grammatical mistakes, awkward sentences, weird fluctuating POVs, repetitious words etc!! It's been quite the rough learning process but I'm enjoying it as I go!


	2. The Cherry Blossom Tree

Sakura ran as fast as she could, willing her legs to go faster despite her heaving lungs. Sweat beaded on her forehead from the exertion, her pale pink yakuta feeling far too heavy for the unusually warm autumn day. Excitement coursed through her veins like electricity despite a lingering doubt in the back of her mind. She wanted to make sure her demon was okay.

Having recalled the heavy smell of copper the night before, she made sure to pack dried fruits that were rich in iron before she left. 

 _You’re imagining it. It was all a dream. You wouldn’t be alive if you came across an Uchiha_ , something inside her reasoned. 

The demons were supposed to be ruthless killers; history books illustrated their cold-blooded and vicious nature. Uchihas were evil; that’s what everyone was raised on. People around her spoke of them in hushed whispers, like a nightmare they couldn’t get away from. But most people never met one and would go through their entire life without ever seeing one.

Sakura should’ve been dead. Yet here she was, aching lungs proving that she was very much alive. 

As the clouds shifted, she squinted up at the glare of the midday sun, missing a thick root protruding from the ground. A surprised yelp escaped her parted lips as she stumbled awkwardly and fell to her knees. 

Crimson eyes flashed in her mind. Dark twin horns. Blood, so much blood. Sakura’s mouth drew into a resolute line. He was real. And she had to go help him. Quickly rising, she brushed off her stained yakuta and took off again. 

When the pinkette arrived at the cherry blossom tree, she found herself alone, much to her dismay. Her demon was no longer there. She looked around sullenly before approaching the base of the tree, recognition making her eyes widen in horror. She reached out to rest the tips of her fingers on the bloodstains, an involuntary flinch forcing her hand back when she met the rough bark.

Sakura stared at her fingers, pink brows furrowed with confusion. While there was no physical change, she felt a residual tingle in the fingers that made contact with the dried blood. Shaking it off to her frayed nerves, she dropped her hand and surveyed her surroundings more carefully.

The stained tree confirmed that last night wasn’t just a dream, but there was no blood trail. He was just gone. Worry churned in her gut. She wanted to call out, to search for him, but she knew there was nothing she could really do. The voice inside her was oddly quiet, the tingle in her fingers almost unnoticeable now. 

“I hope you’re okay,” Sakura whispered under her breath, feeling helpless. Even if he was considered evil by virtue of his clan, she refused to believe that he was as terrible as the tales told. He didn’t _really_ hurt her, after all. 

Deciding that there wasn’t much left she could do, Sakura left the bundle of dried oranges, raisins and dates at the foot of the tree, hoping her demon would return to see that she kept her promise.

“I’ll come back again,” she pledged; to the tree, to the sky, to _him_. Taking one final look at the lone cherry blossom tree in the forest full of oaks, she turned and rushed home before her family realized she had sneaked out.

 

— x —

 

The next day, Sakura returned with a different assortment of fruits. Coming upon the delicate tree with baited breath, she cheered in delight when she didn’t see the floral patterned bundle that she left the day before. He came back, and that meant he was okay. Something warm settled in her chest. He was the first person she ever healed. Demon or not, the Haruno in her swelled with happiness. Was this what it felt like to save someone?

 _You didn’t save him, you barely healed a paper cut on his hand_ , her inner voice spoke up. The pinkette frowned to herself while setting down the new fruits. That was true enough, but she did the best that she could and it seemed to be enough. 

Part of her ached with longing to tell her mom but she knew it would turn out to be a disaster. She inherently knew that what she was doing was wrong, but it didn’t _feel_ wrong. Her mom never spoke of the Uchihas much, but she used to tell her that if she didn’t finished her vegetables; the demons would come and take her in the night. 

If Sakura had known they were this striking, she might have risked leaving a broccoli just to see them once. Suddenly something clicked in her head. With a mischievous glint in her viridian eyes, she ran all the way home.

 

— x —

 

It didn’t work. 

Sakura thought she could summon her demon by leaving her green beans untouched over dinner. Instead, all she got was a scolding from her mom. But she wasn’t the least bit discouraged. Like clockwork, Sakura sneaked out every day that week to come to the cherry blossom tree. And every day that she returned, she was delighted to find that her bundles of fruits were gone.

On a particularly cold day, she found some squirrels chasing each other around the trunk of the tree when she arrived. A thought suddenly occurred to her: what if it wasn’t her demon that was taking the fruits, but instead the squirrels? Or deer or some other animals that roamed the forest when she wasn’t there?

Stomping towards the tree in indignation, Sakura tried to shoo the critters away, but they only crawled up to the higher branches to where she couldn’t reach them, hiding behind the blossoms. Undeterred, she hiked up her sleeves and narrowed her eyes at the tree before her. It wasn’t _too_ tall.

Determination settled on her face. The squirrels seemed content to be the spectators, squeaking amongst themselves while watching her. Wrapping her arms around the trunk, Sakura pushed up off the ground and began her ascent. She clung to the tree like a sloth and used her lower body strength to hoist herself up, a couple inches at a time. It was an awkward and arduous process, with her yakuta in the way, and by the time she reached the branches, her thin arms were shaking from exhaustion. 

“I got you now,” Sakura muttered, reaching for the closest branch with a shaky hand and tentatively testing the steadiness of it. Satisfied that it could hold her weight, she grabbed onto the branch with white knuckles, clinging on for dear life.

Suddenly she heard the cry of a falcon somewhere overhead, and before she knew it, the squirrels were scrambling for their dear life, leaping down the branches so fast that she didn’t notice until one was in her face. Releasing a shrill scream, Sakura slipped from the branch.

The ground came swift and painful. Dazed, Sakura rolled onto her back and groaned at sharp pain in her wrist. Likely a sprain from the position she landed in. She laid in a motionless heap except for the quick rise and fall of her chest.

“Stupid squirrels.” They were gone now, and the falcon that she heard was nowhere in sight.

Taking a deep breath, Sakura forced herself to sit up against the cherry blossom tree, the same place where her demon had sat, she realized. Her body trembled and ached. Now that the adrenaline was fading, she could feel the burn in her muscles more sharply. Raising a glowing hand to her wrist, she healed the joint until the pain faded to a dull discomfort.

Exhaustion overcame the pinkette from the effort. “Just a little break, then I’ll head straight home,” she reassured herself.

Soon, the sun began to set, golden rays of light filtered through the branches and leaves, painting a soft amber hue over the forest. Sakura’s eyes fluttered as sleep overcame her. She dreamt of eating dried plums next to a towering dark figure with regal horns and crimson eyes.

When the skies turned black, the demon from her dreams descended on her sleeping body.

Madara contemplated leaving her there, but when he recognized the carefully wrapped bundle next to her, his eyes softened ever so slightly. It was the same thing he sent his falcon to bring him every day after he felt her presence at this very tree, after he felt her touch his blood. The little girl would get herself killed with this kind of stupidity. He couldn’t even begin to fathom why she continued to return.

Picking up her slight figure, he cradled her against his chest to ward the night’s chill. Adjusting her small body with one hand, he picked up the fruits with the other and secured it in his pouch.

“Foolish child,” Madara sighed deeply in his chest, unconsciously brushing the dirt from her face and then grimacing when he realized what he just did.

Shooting into the trees, he headed towards the village that had forsaken him with the human child that tried to heal him. She vaguely reminded him of someone else, from a time long passed. Tan skin and a cheerful grin came to his mind.

As he flew through the forest, he decided that he would watch over the curious girl, just to find out what made her so different from the rest of her kind.

 

— x —

 

Sakura startled awake, feeling herself being carried. She opened her eyes to the sight of her mother. Confusion filled her.

Yawning, she rubbed her eyes. “Okaasan?”

“Sakura, how many times have I told you not to fall asleep in the garden? The nights are cold, you will get sick again,” Mebuki gently scolded.

Her mind was hazy with sleep. “Garden? What—” A falcon cried somewhere above them, startling her mid-thought. Clarity suddenly struck her. 

In the far off distance, Sakura thought she caught glowing red eyes, but when she blinked, they were gone. She wanted to call out but knew better. His kind was feared. Only ever spoken of in quiet apprehensive whispers, as though uttering their very name would bring down the wrath of the Uchiha. So she held her tongue and stared into the abyss of night, with a hundred questions running through her mind, but not a single answer.

 

— x —

 

The following day, Sakura returned to the cherry blossom tree.

The fruits were gone.

She fixed her eyes on the tawny falcon perching on a branch above and smiled.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello again! Thank you so much for all the kind comments and kudos on my first chapter. Your support is incredibly encouraging as I stumble through this. I've rewritten this chapter quite a couple times but wasn't satisfied with any version so I decided just to leave it like this before I went crazy. It will get more exciting, promise! There will be multiple time skips from here as I jump through Sakura's youth, giving you small snapshots of her life until she becomes an adult. 
> 
> I'm aiming to post weekly updates, likely Sunday or Monday unless something comes up.


	3. Through the Years

After hearing what he needed to hear, Madara ripped his hand out of the warm chest of the wide-eyed Konoha shinobi. The middle-aged man took one last gasping breath before the sheen left his teal eyes. His body fell to the ground lifelessly.

Madara could feel the lifeblood of the human drip from his fingers. There was something intimate about killing with his bare hands, a bloodlust that roared in his ears. 

“Root,” Izuna spat, coming to a stop behind his brother. He flicked his tantō to remove the blood that coated the steel, then sheathed it.

Madara crushed the white mask under his foot. “The humans really thought a mere curse seal could stop me from getting the information I need. Pathetic.” Extending a bloodied hand wordlessly, Izuna stepped forward and handed him a white cloth. Wiping his hand of the blood, Madara dropped the bloodstained fabric over the nameless shinobi’s face.

“I don’t know why they keep sending people after us. The humans sure like leading their own cattle to slaughter.”

The older demon hummed in contemplation, eyes shifting to the leaf nin’s dead partner who was faced down in the dirt. “They’re getting braver after that last attempt.”

Izuna’s eyes darkened. “I would have never expected a traitor in our midst. Why don’t we just go take out their Hokage and put an end to all this?”

Madara briefly entertained the idea but shook his head. “Ah, but where’s the fun in that?” His voice took an otherworldly cadence, lethality bled through his timbre. “They haven’t suffered enough. I want them to drown in their own fear for another eon.”

Izuna’s brows furrowed. “But what if there’s more? What if Kagami wasn’t the only defector?”

“Fool me once, shame on me. Fool me twice, I’ll run their rivers red.”

“ _We_ , will run their rivers red.”

A savage grin stretched across Madara’s face.

Izuna placed a steady hand on his brother’s shoulder. “I’m glad you are okay.”

“Are you implying that you thought otherwise?” The question came out neutral. If the older demon felt insulted, he didn’t show it.

“No. I just…”

“To be tricked by my own kin, poisoned and set up for ambush,” Madara began to laugh, almost maniacally, then abruptly stopped. A heavy silence filled the air between the two siblings whose bond was far thicker than blood. “I haven’t felt this alive in ages.”

The younger demon blew out a heavy breath. “I worry for your sanity sometimes. You need to find yourself a hobby.”

“I don’t need a hobby.” Madara paused, his features smoothing out to complete indifference. “I found myself quite the curiosity, actually.”

Izuna frowned. “What do you mean, aniki?”

Crimson eyes fixed on the falcon circling above them. “Perhaps I should pay the little blossom a visit,” He raised his arm to let the tawny bird of prey land.

Izuna stared blankly at his brother, not having a single clue as to what he was speaking of. “Blossom?” He asked carefully.

Madara closed his eyes, calling on the power in this blood.

_She’s there._

In the next heartbeat, he vanished, leaving a befuddled Izuna behind with two mangled corpses.

 

— x —

 

Just as Sakura turned to leave, the tips of her fingers began to tingle. In the next breath, she felt an overwhelming presence behind her, a dark energy that made her lungs contract in slight suffocation. Letting out a little wheeze, she swirled around and looked up, and up, and _up._ It was her demon!

“Wow, you’re gigantic,” Sakura sputtered. Taking in his striking stature, her viridian eyes widened in awe. “Can you turn that off though, I can’t breathe very well.”

Dissipating the power that he unconsciously manifested, Madara frowned with his arms crossed, curbing the bewildering urge to pat the pinkette’s back when she let out a couple coughs. “I forget how pathetic you humans are,” he muttered, waiting for the chit to catch her breath.

Sakura straightened, taking in large gulps of air. She had to tilt her head all the way back to look at the imposing demon that she had been waiting on and dreaming of for the past two weeks. Finally seeing him in the flesh made her lips stretch with a beaming smile. Something warm unfurled in her chest.

“I knew you’d come back!” She took a step forward with both arms extended.

Realizing her intention in that same millisecond, Madara’s brain flew through a million ways to counter her. Genjustu? Susanoo? Tengai shinsei?

Instead, he swiftly stopped the incoming embrace with a single hand on her tiny pink head. Feeling extremely disturbed that the human made an attempt to hug him, he flashed a couple steps back and gave her a wary scowl.

Sakura blinked, slowly dropping her arms. The smile didn’t leave her face. “I knew you’d be just fine, Uchiha-sama!” she chirped.

Madara scoffed, brushing off his agitation before pinning her with a calculating gaze. “The next time you try that, you lose your arms.” He said gravely. It was an empty threat, and he knew it.

Sakura’s eyes gleamed mischievously. So did she, apparently.

“Why did you try to heal me that night?” Madara changed the subject.

“Because you were hurt.”

“Why do you keep returning here?”

“Because I want to”

He stared at her, narrowing his eyes. “Do you have a death wish?”

Sakura shrugged. “No, not really.”

“Run along then,” Madara deadpanned, “before I eat you alive.” He activated his sharingan to bolster what he hoped had been an intimidating threat to the witless child. She seemed immune to common sense, however.

Sakura pouted, jutting out a trembling lower lip. “But I like you.” Wide glassy eyes stared up at the demon.

Madara felt his eye twitch as utter discomfort swept through him. He couldn’t remember the last time he felt this off-balance, this unsure of how to react. The girl kept catching him off-guard with her doltish actions and statements. He found her innocence and naivety to be deeply unsettling. He could kill in her a heartbeat to save himself the trouble, in fact, he _should_ …but it didn’t feel right.

“That,” Madara waved his hand vaguely in front of him, “is not the correct response. This is where you do what your kind excel at.”

The pinkette tilted her head to the side, confusion taking over her expression. “What?”

“Cower, scream, cry. The choice is yours.”

Sakura’s nose scrunched up adorably. “Why would I do that?”

The demon smothered the urge to strangle some sense into her. “I know your people have told you stories of my kind. Do you truly have no sense of self-preservation whatsoever?”

Sakura chewed on her lower lip, wringing her hands. “But you’re different.”

Flaring his power, Madara let his killing intent seep into that air. The three tomoe in his eyes swirled and transformed into the eternal mangekyo pinwheel that was uniquely his. His voice darkened, taking a demonic lilt. “I’m—”

“Wow your eyes are so pretty!” Sakura interrupted, clapping her hands together in wonder.

Madara gave up.

“Stop coming here,” he said curtly, before turning around.

Sakura took a couple steps forward with a hand outstretched. “Uchiha-sama! Where are you going?”

He glanced over his shoulder. “That’s none of your concern.”

“Okay, be careful out there! You know where to find me if you need something healed.” Sakura patted the trunk of the cherry blossom tree, grinning widely.

Madara felt the corner of his lips twitch involuntarily. “Hashirama, she’s just like you,” he muttered under his breath, a bare whisper.

“Wait! Can I have your name before you go?”

Madara vanished.

“Come back soon!” Sakura screamed into the air.

 

— x —

 

He did.

Despite his conflicting emotions, Madara found himself occasionally stopping by to watch over Sakura through the following months, unbeknownst to her. Just to see if she would tell anyone about him, he reassured himself. To take her life in the case that she did.

But she didn’t, and that’s what bothered him the most; the fact that she was so unpredictable, so unlike her kind.

Humans left a foul taste in his mouth. They were fickle, self-serving, volatile creatures. Sakura too, was human. Logic dictated that he did not concern himself with her at all, yet his curiosity was piqued by her courageous spirit and unwavering determination. She reminded him so much of the human he once called his best friend.

Throughout the decades, Madara had plenty of opportunities to end this ‘war’. He could raze the entire village of Konoha to the ground, or kill the leaders and enslave the people, but something always held him back. Perhaps it was the lingering connection to Senju Hashirama in the back of his mind, the only human he ever deemed worthy.

Maybe that’s why he only killed humans when they provoked him. Though, that wasn’t saying much, considering a wrong look was reason enough for Madara to play the role of the reaper.

So Madara observed Sakura’s daily life, making sure to never reveal himself while he was deep in enemy territory. He noted her bright mind and kind heart, watched over her as she learned the crafts of her clan, practicing day in and day out on countless fishes. She was tiny but she was full of fire. He knew those tiny hands would save countless lives in the future. 

One day, he let himself appear before her.

Little did he know how much his life would change after that.

 

— x —

 

**One Year Later**

 

Madara was cold initially, perhaps even cruel at times, but that never deterred Sakura. The more time he time he spent with her, the more she melted his icy resolve, like the spring’s gentle sun softened the final vestiges of winter.

Somewhere along the way, he had become something akin to her warden. Madara periodically accompanied Sakura whenever she sneaked out of the village. The tiny human had an adventurous streak as wide as the ocean and was far too trusting for him to leave her to her own devices. So he shadowed her when he could, his presence assuring her safety.

Sakura was happy with his silent companionship. She talked enough for the both of them, blabbering on about her day, her school, her friends and family.

Sitting in the middle of a meadow, surrounded by flowers of various colors and sizes—sunflowers, daisies, lilies, and lupines, Sakura seemed more like a woodland nymph than a mortal girl. She was a whimsical creature, her small fingers clumsily weaving a myriad of flowers into a crown, bumble gum pink eyebrows furrowed in concentration while her lips moved a mile a minute, telling Madara about her latest exploits involving her friend named Naruto.

“Done!” Sakura exclaimed, shooting up excitedly and waving her newest achievement at the half-slumbering demon in the lone tree above her.

Madara cracked an eye open and glanced down at the pinkette.

“Come down now! I have a present for you!” She waited expectantly.

With a bemused sigh, Madara descended from the tree and landed silently in front of her.

Sakura stared up at him; head tilted all the way back, and pursed her lips. “Down, please.”

Madara indulged her with an expressionless face, lowering himself to his knees and bending his head. It painted a striking image—a dark king, a sovereign ruler of the otherworldly, accepting a young human’s floral crown. 

Sakura fitted the wreath carefully over his horns, and settled it on his head. The blossoms of yellows, pinks and purples almost made the demon look approachable.

Almost.

She beamed at Madara in pure delight. He wasn’t sure why he was so indulgent when it came to her, but it was difficult to say no to her cherubic face. Her jubilant giggle warmed something inside of his cold, pitch-black chest. 

Sensing another presence, Madara slowly rose to his full height. “What have you come for?” His low, gravelly voice was laced with power and authority.

For a second, Sakura thought he was speaking to her until she heard a toneless voice respond.

“Madara-sama.”

Sakura swirled around to the source of the voice, finding a statuesque man bowing in deference. The demon had long, ink black hair and curving horns, smaller than the pair she was accustomed to but still striking nonetheless. Realizing whom the stranger was addressing, her eyes widened as the puzzle piece fell into place.

“Itachi,” Madara greeted tonelessly.

The demon in question’s eyes wandered up to the flower crown nestled around Madara’s horns and paused momentarily, though his face remained passive.

Madara glowered back, daring him to utter a word.

Feeling the tension in the air, Sakura scurried behind Madara, her only source of comfort, and tried to hide herself behind his huge, towering frame. She wrapped her fingers around his much larger one, peeking out with narrowed eyes at the presence of a new Uchiha. Wary, but curious. 

“Report.”

Madara sounded different, colder than how he spoke to her, Sakura realized. There was a lethal current of power in his tone. 

“We were ambushed on the western front but there were no casualties on our side. As per your orders, only one was left alive to send a message to their people.” Itachi’s tone, on the other hand, was absent of any oppressive power but held a refined grace.

Madara looked down at the child behind him with a contemplating gaze. He could feel her pitifully tiny fingers tighten around his. “Call on the council. I’ll be there shortly.”

Itachi bowed, taking one last look at Sakura with ambivalent eyes, then disappeared.

“Are all demons as pretty as you two?” Sakura asked the second they were alone.

Madara detected a slight waver in her voice but said nothing. Instead, he effortlessly picked her up and dropped her on his broad shoulders. Sakura instinctively grabbed onto his horns as he shot into the trees on the edge of the meadow.

They were quite the sight, a massive demon with glowing crimson eyes and dark twin horns, dressed in blood-red armor—wearing a delicate colorful flower crown, weaved by the nymph-like girl on his shoulders.

Sakura held his horns like reigns, as if he was her dark horse. Digging the heel of her foot into his ribs, she laughed with uninhibited joy as the wind swept past her. The unlikely pair flew through the trees, ascending higher and higher until they reached the peak of the tallest redwood.

Sakura’s breath caught in her throat at the sight before her. At the height they were at, her village seems so tiny along the sheer vastness of the land. The forest extended for miles, shades of lush greens, and in the distance she could see the sun-kissed mountains. The sky was painted in amber and gold as the sun began to dip below the mountain lines. She knew this was a sight she would never forget.

“Do you still not fear me?” Madara asked after a moment.

Sakura’s answer was immediate. “No.”

“I’ve killed hundreds, thousands of your people.”

A conflicted look crossed the pinkette’s face. She hesitated before answering, “Mama says death is inevitable in war.” Her voice came out meek initially, then gradually filled with determination. “That’s why we’re here, to save as many people as we can.”

Madara remained silent, sensing her inner turmoil. He knew she wanted to cling to whatever good she saw in him. Unfortunately for her, there was none. He had lost that part of him a long, long time ago.

“I don’t want war,” Sakura whispered, resting her chin between his horns. “You’re the leader of the Uchiha clan…can’t you end it?”

He could, but not in the way she wanted, so he didn’t respond.

Mortals—their lifespan seemed terribly ephemeral, a mere blink in comparison to that of Madara’s kind. It felt like just yesterday when the little pink human stumbled upon him and tempted fate.

Somewhere in his chest, he felt the call of the void ebb back and forth gently, a settling calm rather than the crashing waves he was accustomed to.

They watched the sun dip below the horizon in silence.

 

— x —

 

Sometimes Madara came bearing small gifts—a red ribbon, a stuffed cat, candy from different lands—and not always did he reveal himself, but Sakura could feel his presence in the tips of her fingers and eventually, in the depths of her very bones.

On her 10th birthday, Madara brought something different.

She didn’t have to wait long under the cherry blossom tree before he arrived. It became a customary place for them.

“Madara-sama!” Sakura ran into his knees, hugging him. It was a greeting he never got used to and barely tolerated, even on his good days. Most of the time he sidestepped her or held her at bay with a single finger on her wide forehead, but today he was feeling particularly accommodating.

The demon returned her warm smile with a blank stare and indulged her for a second before stepping back and dropping a large scroll in front of her. Rolling it open, he revealed a handful of names and bloody fingerprints.

Sakura peered curiously at the content before her. “What’s this?” she asked.

“A summoning contract,” Madara replied.

“To summon you?” she squealed with joy.

“No.”

“Oh…” She looked mildly dejected but perked up quickly. “To summon what then?”

“You’ve seen one of my falcons.”

Sakura’s entire face lit up as she eagerly nodded in response.

“Falcons are loyal creatures. If properly trained, they will be successful hunters alongside you—they hunt _any_ kind of prey,” Madara shot her a pointed look, referring to humans, “and can see a considerable distance further than you. They’re the fastest avian in the sky.”

Sakura’s seafoam green eyes brightened, missing his implication. She listened raptly and took mental notes.

Finding an empty space, Madara pointed. “Sign your name in blood and print your fingerprints below if you wish to form a contract. 

“Okay!” Sakura did as instructed, wincing minutely when she made the cut on finger.

Madara frowned at her lack of hesitation. If he had ill intentions, she’d be dead by now. She was far too trusting for her own good, and that concerned him considerably. All the more reason to give her a reliable summon in the case that he couldn’t be around.

He knew he wouldn’t always be around. 

Biting into his thumb, Madara weaved the familiar signs and slammed his hand on the ground. In an instant, a giant puff of smoke manifested and a magnificent falcon emerged.

Sakura gasped in surprise and fell back onto her hind side. It was easily double her height, much larger than the falcon Sakura had seen flying around Madara from time to time. The regal creature shook out its impressive wings; feathers of russet and ivory, and turned to address its summoner. 

“Madara-sama, it is an honor to be called forth again,” the bird of prey greeted respectfully.

“You’re so pretty,” Sakura whispered in slack-jawed wonder. She reached for the wing closest to her, the falcon compliantly extending it to her touch.

“Ryo. She just signed the contract.” Madara gestured to the scroll on the ground.

“I have full faith that she will be a worthy companion if you selected her, Madara-sama,” Ryo replied. 

Sakura’s eyes sparkled.

The rest of the afternoon was spent practicing the seals and the summoning jutsu. Madara was patient, correcting her here and there with clipped tones, though never harsh. He didn’t offer her encouragements, but observed intently as she practiced. 

After a dozen or so tries, a small puff of smoke appeared. When it cleared, a young grey falcon about the size of Sakura’s head stepped out. 

The pinkette jumped up and cheered in excitement. “I did! Madara-sama, look!”

From above, Madara’s eyes softened as his lips curved into a smile.

He didn’t wish her a happy birthday, but he didn’t need to. Actions always spoke louder than words.

 

— x —

 

Before they knew it, winter arrived with a biting chill and the promise of snow. When the first snowflakes began to fall, Madara appeared before the young human he had grown far too accustomed to. 

“Sakura,” he called her name for the very first time, his voice low and solemn. “Is there anything you would like?” 

A myriad of emotions crashed through the pinkette; first exhilaration that Madara finally used her name instead of calling her ‘human’ or ‘little girl’ as he usually did, then worry from the tone of his voice, and then confusion from the question itself. A dark energy clung to him, she noticed, but instead of being oppressive, it felt _different_. 

“I must leave soon. Is there anything you want to do before I go?” He paused. “Perhaps a place you’d like to see?” 

Sakura shook her head, anxiety knotting in the pit of her stomach. Madara always came and left at his leisure, but something felt off this time. 

“Is everything okay?” she asked hesitantly. 

Madara offered no response. 

Worry seized her heart, she opened her mouth but he cut her off before a single word left her lips. 

“If I could grant you one wish now, what would you ask for?” Madara asked ambiguously. 

Silence stretched between them. Sakura shivered involuntarily, focusing on the snowflakes as they slowly fell and coated the ground in a thin blanket of snow. The cold air made her lungs hurt. 

“I cannot end the war.” Madara read her mind before she could speak it. 

Sakura tilted her face towards the sky and closed her eyes, feeling the snow kiss the pale skin of her face. 

“Your hair, then.” She gestured towards his long ebony locks, opening her brilliant viridian eyes. “Can I braid it?” The question came out so quietly that Madara almost didn’t hear it. 

His face went blank despite the incredulity he felt. Of all the things she could have asked for, she asked to braid his hair. He, who had taken thousands of lives on battlefields long before her time and would take thousands more long after. He, who had the power to move mountains and lay waste to civilizations. 

“I can teach you how to braid mine too!” Sakura exclaimed with a wobbly smile, a sheen glossing over her eyes. She was trying so hard to keep it together in the midst of confusion and uncertainty.

The demon didn’t have the heart to deny his little pink human. “Fine,” he sighed, sitting down on the soft snow under the blossomless tree. 

Madara felt tiny, hesitant fingers run through his hair. 

“It’s so soft,” Sakura murmured, stroking through his thick mane with care. 

As her deft hands went to work, her mood brightened significantly, finding comfort while playing with his hair. 

“I can teach you too,” she said, breaking the silence. 

“Hn.” 

Five minutes later, Madara found his waist-length hair neatly pleated and tied at the end with a pink ribbon. There he was, the patriarch of the great Uchiha clan, yielding to the whimsical wiles of a mere child. He felt appalled, but he didn’t show it. 

“Do you like it? It’s pretty isn’t it?” Sakura looked up at him expectantly, her face flushed a rosy hue. 

“Yes, it is quite…pretty,” he choked out the last word.

“Okay your turn then!” 

Before he knew it, Madara found himself nodding and listening to the pinkette’s careful step-by-step instructions.

“I don’t think you’re doing it right!” Sakura swatted Madara’s hands away and then patted the mangled ‘braid’ on her head. A line appeared between her brows. “Yeah, this is definitely not right.” 

Madara’s mouth set in a hard line. Power coursed through his veins like blood, yet he found himself struggling to replicate the simple plait. His long fingers tangled in Sakura’s pink locks, frustration filling him as she patiently walked him through the steps all over again. 

He was starting to believe that conquering strongholds and political negotiations were easier than this. 

“You did it!” Sakura cried after his third attempt, running her hand down the length of the braid. “You did it.” It came out softer the second time. 

“I did,” he agreed. 

After several heartbeats, Madara stood up to his full height and looked somewhere into the distance. Sakura scrambled to her feet in suit. 

In the heart of the winter, the unlikely pair stood side by side with matching braids under their bare cherry blossom tree. 

Sakura etched the moment into her memory, and Madara did the same. 

As the snow began to fall harder around them, Madara rested a large, heavy hand on her head. “Goodbye.” 

The single word held a note of finality that made Sakura’s heart stutter. She peered up at him under her pink lashes. “See you soon, Madara-sama?” 

His eyes crimson eyes darkened as he studied her face wordlessly.

When she blinked, he was gone.

Sakura waited.

And waited. 

Weeks turned to months, months turned to years. 

The seasons came and went, but her demon never returned.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, while working on this chapter, I realized just how *rough* my first draft is. This one took a lot longer to write/edit/rewrite than expected because it was literally filled with:
> 
> [ADD MORE DIALOGUE HERE] 
> 
> and 
> 
> "Then he ". 
> 
> ???
> 
> *cries into the void* 
> 
> As always, thank you for reading! I can't tell you how much I appreciate your kudos and comments. Whenever I feel stuck, I go back and reread the comments. It always gives me a burst of motivation. You guys are awesome, so thank you.


	4. Dead Men Tell No Tales

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As you can probably tell from the chapter title, things are about to get a little dark.  
> Warning: Graphic depictions of violence, gore

At eighteen, Sakura had the radiance of the rising sun, illuminating everything she came across. And just like the dawn’s light, she would grow even more vivid as time passed.

Long gone was the tiny pink human Madara left behind on that desolate winter day eight years ago. He was resolute on leaving the child to grow up with a semblance of normalcy, knowing his presence in her life would prove to be detrimental—for her. If her kind found out that she was in contact with their enemy, an Uchiha, let alone the patriarch himself, then there would be no ends that wouldn’t justify the means. They would mold her into a weapon; destroy her youth, just to use her against him. History had a tendency of repeating itself. His kin, Obito, had paid for it dearly.

Though the prideful demon seldom admitted to his weaknesses, he had in fact grown fond of the pinkette in the short amount of time that they spent together, and he wasn’t sure he would be able to kill the girl if it came down to it. She reminded him of the only human he ever respected, Senju Hashirama, with her naive optimism and openhearted determination. So he did the only thing he could, he disappeared from her life.

The years were mere blinks in his lifetime.

In his absence, Sakura grew up to be a striking young woman and an accomplished kunoichi. Her monstrous strength and medical prowess came to be known across the Land of Fire and beyond. At just 16, she began appearing in Bingo Books after defeating an infamous Akatsuki member—the puppet-master of the red sand, Sasori.

It was at that time that Madara felt the precarious waver of her mortal life. He told himself he would never appear before her again. He was content with waiting out her lifetime before razing Konoha to the ground, but life never went as planned, did it? An abnormal flicker in her heartbeat made him abandon his resolve. He disappeared in the middle of the council meeting without a word, heart slamming against his ribcage. It was a feeling he had long forgotten.

When Madara arrived, he found Sakura standing above the broken shells of hundreds of puppets; a striking image of a spring maiden of war. She was no longer a vulnerable bud, instead, a floret on the cusp of full bloom. Countless wounds marred her pale skin. Her long cherry blossom hair swayed gently at the whims of the wind. The battle was over, and his human emerged victorious. He felt his chest swell with something eerily similar to pride. Sakura had grown up just fine, remarkable, even. So he vanished once again with none the wiser, his concerns assuaged.

Only one year later, Madara broke his resolve one again after catching wind of the reputation Sakura had built for herself. She became a high valued target—her head held a significant sum of ryō for anyone powerful enough to take it. Unfortunately for them, Madara never allowed such transgressions.

He began to watch over the pinkette every now and then. Always from a distance, like a phantom, a second shadow, diligent never to reveal his presence. He returned again and again as dozens of assassins made attempts on her life through the year, more than she would ever come to realize. Like a guardian demon, he eliminated most threats before they reached her, and always out of sight. When he wasn’t there, Sakura took care of them herself. She was a predator in her own right, after all.

Soon enough, the attempts stopped altogether. Madara did not take kindly to humans—or any other being for that matter—with ill intentions against his human.

 

— x —

 

“Girls from impoverished towns are going missing. What little intel we have point to a small settlement on the outskirts of Kirigakure. There’s a civilian that resides there by the name of Saito Aki. She will be your informant.” Tsunade, the sole survivor of the Senju clan and Godaime Hokage, tossed the mission scroll at her frowning student.

Sakura caught the scroll in one hand. “Assassination?”

Tsunade shook her head, leaning back on her chair. “The target has not been confirmed yet but we do have a suspect. He’s an S-rank missing-nin from the Mist; last spotted occupied with business in the Land of Earth two days ago. He shouldn’t be a concern for this particular mission. Nonetheless, his information is in the scroll.”

Sakura rolled opened the scroll and briefly scanned the profile.

“The liaison refuses to give any information unless it’s in person. She believes she’s being watched.”

“All of her messages would be intercepted,” Sakura murmured.

Tsunade nodded. “Ask around the town. The objective is to gather intel. Find the location of their base operation and confirm it. After you come back with the information we need, I’ll send a team with you to infiltrate the base. The suspect is dangerous and I have no doubt his associates are equally so.” 

Sakura’s fingers tightened around the scroll in anticipation. She had been exclusively working in the Haruno Hospital for the past month finding a cure to the disease that was ravaging Suna. Now that the antidote was complete, she could finally take missions that would utilize her abilities outside the medical realm.

“In and out, Sakura. Stay under the radar. The sooner you can confirm the location, the sooner we can make our move.”

“Yes, Tsunade-shishou. I’ll leave at noon.”

The Godaime turned her attention back to the mountain of paperwork on her desk, effectively dismissing her student.

Sakura headed towards the door, but a nagging voice in the back of mind made her feet stop moving. She turned back towards her teacher slowly, hesitantly. “Has…there been any news in Anbu lately?”

Tsunade leveled Sakura with sharp scrutiny, knowing exactly what her student was referring to. All Uchiha related missions were in the sole territory of Anbu Black Ops. Only Anbu members and those with a higher station were cleared for information regarding the infamous clan of demons. Everyone else, including jōnin, was kept in the dark. “Is there a reason why you’ve been inquiring about classified information, Sakura?”

“No.” Her denial was immediate, almost too fast. Her heart rate spiked, throat went dry. “I was just curious…with the rumors floating around.”

“And what exactly are these rumors?” Tsunade leaned forward, resting her elbows on the desk, chin propped on intertwined fingers.

Sakura froze. “That the latest mission…”

“I expect you not to pander to hearsay," her voice was harsh. "Perhaps you should consider joining Anbu if you have an interest in taking on those kinds of missions. Find out for yourself.” Amber eyes narrowed critically.

“I didn’t mean it like that, Shishou. The hospital has been more than enough work for me,” Sakura replied, rubbing the back of her neck. “Besides, I’m not sure I’m ready for Anbu. That’s a big decision to make.”

Tsunade’s face became unreadable, making Sakura even more nervous. “By all means, take your time. You have a mission to focus on after all.”

“I’ll be heading out then, Tsunade-sama.” Sakura prayed her words came out steady. Without delay, she exited the office.

“She’s acting strange.” A shadowy figure entered through the window.

Tsunade stared wordlessly at the closed door.

 

— x —

 

The two-day travel to Kirigakuri was uneventful. Sakura was dressed in her civilian clothes to blend in, with a red ribbon replacing her usual headband. Her loose shirt hid a small weapons pouch in the case that a physical confrontation arose.

The small town on the edge of the Land of Water was near ruins. The signs of poverty reflected in the old, crumbling buildings and weathered faces of the people. Sakura decided to begin by surveying the area and discreetly asking around the destitute town for any information. Unfortunately, the townsfolk were tightlipped, borderline hostile. Most regarded her from a distance with wary glares. The people she spoke to were aggressive, rough around the edges. No one had, or was willing to share, any leads regarding the recent disappearances.

The lack of progress made her head for the informant instead. Saito Aki was a barmaid, and barkeepers were in a unique position of power. Alcohol loosened lips, so valuable information came across them often.

Sakura ducked into the only bar in the impoverished town, the building in a slightly better condition than she expected. “I’m looking for a friend,” Sakura started as she sat down three stools away from the closest patron, “her name is Aki.”

The aging grey-haired man wiping down the bar with a tattered rag paused, eyeing her with caution. “She just came in actually, still in the back.” He pointed a thumb over his shoulder.

“I’ll wait.” Sakura shrugged. “Sake, please.”

“New around here? A face like yours is memorable.” He poured the liquid into a sizable cup, sliding it to her.

Sakura raised a brow. “You mean my hair.”

“That to.”

“Just passing through,” she answered his question, taking a small sip of the bitter amber liquid. “Thought I’d visit an old friend.”

The old man grunted in response and moved down the bar to serve a customer that called him.

A moment later, a young brunette, not too older than Sakura, came through the swinging door behind the bar. “Aki,” the pinkette recognized. “It’s been awhile,” she added quickly, taking a discreet glance at the other barkeeper serving drinks only a few steps away.

The informant didn’t miss a beat. “Ah yes! It’s good to see you, Sakura.”

Sakura’s eyes sharpened. “Do you have a moment?”

Aki turned to the barkeeper. He gave a curt nod. “Make it fast.”

She rounded the bar, dropping her rag, and tipped her head towards the entrance. Sakura stood as she deposited a couple ryō on the counter, following closely behind the brunette. The old man’s gaze followed the pair as they walked out.

A light rain welcomed the two as they exited the bar. Aki led Sakura to an empty closed-off alley nearby. Sakura observed their surroundings with a keen eye. Not noticing anything particularly out of sight, she quickly performed the signs to form a barrier around them that would keep all sound in.

“You must be the shinobi the Leaf sent.” 

Sakura turned to the brunette with ambivalent eyes and a smile on her face. “Yes. What do you know?” she asked, cutting straight to the point.

Aki’s face darkened. Her voice dropped as she took a step closer. “The man supposedly behind all this is Shinji Makoto. He’s been kidnapping girls and selling them as sex slaves on that black market. I recently overheard a covert meeting place for these kinds of…deals. Head south towards the waterfall in the forest. You might find what you’re looking for behind the curtain of water.”

 

— x —

 

Sakura waited for the sun to dip below the mountains before setting off. According to her map of the area, the waterfall wasn’t too far off—only a couple kilometers away, but that wasn’t her immediate objective. She took off at a leisurely pace, waiting on something else. Someone else.

Sakura didn’t make it very far before she heard the familiar feminine voice.

“Sakura-san!”

Her muscles tensed at the sudden presence behind her. Without hesitation, she swirled around, reeling a chakra-infused fist back and letting the momentum carry it forward. The woman dodged and jumped into a nearby tree with a speed far too fast for a supposed-civilian. Sakura’s fist connected with the ground; the earth shattered, forming a giant crater where the brunette stood a mere second ago. 

“What gave it away?” Aki grinned from a safe distance.

“I never gave you my name, and we don’t give operative names before high-risk intel missions,” Sakura snarled. Without waiting for a response, she rushed forward and appeared in front of the imposter in the blink of an eye, throwing successive punches. Aki deflected the first two and stopped the third with an iron grip on Sakura’s wrist.

“My my, aren’t you quite the firecracker.” Her voice melted into a deeper, masculine treble as her body grew larger and heavier, transforming into a man’s. “Just as I expected from the Cherry Blossom of the Leaf.”

Recognition dawned on Sakura’s face. It was the suspected target, Shinji Makoto. S-ranked missing-nin from the Mist. A whirlwind of questions flew through her mind.

“I wonder how much you’d sell for.” Makoto licked his lips salaciously. “Maybe I’ll try you for myself first.”

Sakura’s expression hardened as she calculated the odds. She didn’t come prepared to fight a ninja of his caliber, and truth be told, she wasn’t confident she could take him on without prior strategizing. This was only supposed to be an A-ranked intel gathering mission. Things were going south, fast. She needed to buy time to escape. 

“How about I let you try this.” Sakura launched into the air, throwing two kunai with explosive tags at him. The missing-nin leapt away with lightning speed and put more distance between them. He brought his hands up, weaving some signs—

Sakura had a scant heartbeat to dodge the rain of senbon from above. Pain lanced through her arm. She ducked behind a tree, momentarily taking cover from the relentless assault. When the last needle struck the bark, she pulled the giant tree from its root and hurled it in Makoto’s direction. Recalling the information from his profile, she knew speed was his strong suit. She wouldn’t be able to keep up with him, so she had to get close and personal. Had to catch him off guard.

Makoto smirked and side stepped the massive projectile. “Impressive strength, but it’s useless if you can’t touch me.”

As the trunk of the tree flew past him, Sakura activated the explosive seal. His eyes widened in surprise just as the eruption knocked him forward. Sakura pumped chakra into her feet and closed the distance in an instant, grabbing the nin by his shirt and punching him in the solar plexus. She heard a sickening crack as his body slammed into the ground, creating a web of splinters around him.

Suddenly, the body dispersed into a puddle of water.

A clone.

Sakura dropped low for a sweeping kick as she felt him appear behind her. He hopped over her leg and pulled out a kunai, swinging it down towards her face. She leaned back a bare inch, watching in slow motion as the kunai swiped down only a centimeter from her face.

Sakura grabbed the sharp end of the weapon, halting its descent. She gritted her teeth as the blade sliced through her palm. Surprise flickered in the missing-nin’s eyes for a second. She used the moment of hesitation to pull the kunai down, dragging him with it, and kicked him in the jaw with all her strength.

A resounding crack echoed in the air.

Makoto released the kunai and sprung back, hand covering his shattered jaw. “Fucking bitch.” he slurred. “I’ll kill you.”

Sakura reached into her pack for another explosive tag when her arm began to feel sluggish. She blanched as realization hit her. It was from his previous jutsu. Pulling the senbon out of her arm, she sent chakra to the location of the wound to try to burn off the poison.

“It’s too late,” he laughed wildly, jaw unhinged. Black beady eyes bore into viridian greens. He closed the distance with a startling speed and slammed his hand into her ribs. Sharp pain rippled across her chest, bringing her down to her knees. Her breath came out shallow. “How does this feel, huh?” He kicked her in the face.

Spots danced in her vision.

Sakura channeled her chakra to heal the cracked ribs as she rose to her feet, spitting out blood. For a brief second, she considered releasing her yin seal, but then felt a needle puncture her right leg. She dropped down to one knee. The leg went numb. 

The missing-nin snagged her chin as she struggled. “This one works fast,” he sneered.

Sakura swung at his face with the arm she still had control over but was met with thin air. He was too fast. Two more needles struck her, first in the remaining arm, then leg. She instantly lost control of her limbs and collapsed on the ground in cold sweat.

Sakura forced her heartbeat to slow down to stop the incoming panic. Taking an internal diagnosis of her body, she found a disparity. The senbon buried in her was different than the one from his jutsu; it wasn’t poisoned. These only physically blocked the nerve receptors of her muscles, unlike the initial poisoned one that additionally cut off the chakra channel in her arm. A plan formulated in her head. 

Makoto stood above Sakura with a twisted grin on his face. She feigned hysteria, letting false tears come to her eyes all the while focusing her chakra to into a fine point to carefully push the needles in her legs out first. Even with her complete mastery over chakra control, she knew that a single misstep would render the muscles useless, possibly forever. Absolute focus was required.

Makoto crouched down. “Maybe I’ll have fun with you before I kill you,” he garbled, fingers curling around the band of her pants.

Sweat beaded on Sakura’s forehead from concentration as she gave a final push. The needles exited her body. She immediately regained control of her legs. Letting out a breath she didn’t realized she was holding, she pooled chakra into her legs and feet, the muscles in her abdomen tensing as she coiled in to kick—

The body above her disappeared.

Makoto vanished.

Sakura stared at the empty air before her in wide-eyed bewilderment.

On high alert, she scanned the dark expanse of the forest, seeking out the missing-nin while focusing on getting the remaining needle out of her arm. If this was some sort of sick game he wanted to play, she was going to need her limbs working. As the last senbon dropped to the ground, she stood up and stretched, welcoming the return of movement, though the poisoned arm remained out of commission.

Sakura concentrated, extending her senses to search for the missing-nin’s chakra signature. The forest held an unnatural stillness, lacking the usual rustle of squirrels running through the trees or birds chirping on the branches.

Nothing.

Uncertainty swirled through her, but one thing was certain: now was the time to escape. Before she could leap into the trees, something wet fell from the sky next to her, splashing liquid on her face and arm. Sakura looked down.

A severed leg.

Then another.

A torso.

Two arms. 

Then, a head.

Shinji Makoto’s head. Eyes missing from its sockets. It rolled to a stop at her feet.

Sakura’s blood ran cold.

Her viridian eyes widened in horror as she looked down at her own arm and found splatters of blood. The color drained from her face. She staggered back, the gravity of the situation crashing into her. His head, arms and legs were ripped clean off, blood still gushing out like a broken dam. A scalding wave of panic washed over her. This was pure brutality, borderline sadism. Whoever was able to eliminate an S-rank missing-nin this quickly and efficiently, completely undetected…

She had to escape.

A towering figure suddenly appeared before her, making her flinch and stumble backwards with an arm raised defensively over her face, blocking most of her vision. Familiar twin horns peaked into her view from over her forearm.

Sakura slowly dropped her arm as recognition hit her. Despite the eight years that had passed, he looked exactly the same as he did on that snowy day he abandoned her under their cherry blossom tree. Like not a single day had passed.

But his aura was completely foreign; unlike anything she’d ever felt. He embodied wrath itself, a sinister darkness radiating from him and swirling around, embracing him like a sentient being. His feral crimson eyes swirled viciously, taking in the bloody pile on the ground beside her, and then carefully sweeping over her from head to toe, pausing at every wound.

Bloodlust raged in his eyes.

“Madara-sama,” the words left Sakura’s lips on a whisper. Of question. Of disbelief. 

The demon in question stared at her wordlessly, neck taut with tension. He looked bigger somehow, which was difficult to believe because to her 10-year-old self, he might as well have been a mountain. But now, as he loomed over her, she realized just how massive he really was. Just how imposing. 

Madara’s killing intent was palpable; the air so thick with it that Sakura found it difficult to breathe. The fine hairs on her arms stood as chills swept through her body. Her eyes wandered from his face to his blood-soaked hands to his clothes. They were stained as well, though she doubted a single drop of it was his. He breathed heavily, his broad shoulders rising and falling. At that moment, Madara looked more demonic than she had ever seen before. It was as if _Madara_ wasn’t even there—just the physical shell of his body running on instinct. Madness danced in his eyes.

Monsters. The word Sakura’s people used so often to describe the Uchihas echoed in her head as she shifted her gaze to the grisly pile of limbs, a sordid reminder of his background. The laws of humanity did not apply to him.

Then it dawned on her. Why he was here now. Why her target was in pieces on the ground. Why she intrinsically knew that he wouldn’t raise a single hand against her.

 _He did it to protect you._ The voice in the back of her mind whispered.

“Madara-sama.” Sakura’s voice was softer this time, pacifying.

She put one foot forward. Then another. Before her brain registered her actions, she found her face pressed against his chest, her single working arm wrapped around his stomach, holding him tightly. He was deadly still, a tensely coiled predator waiting to spring into action.

“It’s over Madara-sama, he’s dead,” Sakura murmured against his strangely steady heartbeat. His muscles rippled under her touch.

An eternity passed.

Madara blinked. Clarity returned to him in a crashing tidal wave. He struggled to reign in the raw fury. And another emotion. Fear, he identified. It was a feeling almost foreign to him. It was deeply unsettling. He glanced down at the human wrapped tightly around his abdomen and the raging sea inside him abruptly eased into a quiet calm. He released a long breath, feeling the residual aggression slip from his muscles.

Sakura looked up when she felt the heavy hand drop on top of her head. Madara’s crimson eyes flickered to coal. She recognized the shift in him. A familiarity. The memories she long buried rushed back to her, one after another.

In the very depths of her bones, Sakura knew one thing: this was still her demon. The one that patiently taught her her first summon. The one that braided her hair and indulgently wore her flower crowns. He may have left for nearly a decade, he may be as ruthless and merciless as the tales claimed, but he was _hers_. A smothering intensity unfolded in her chest that would have startled her had she been anyone else. But she was Sakura, and he was Madara, and that’s all that mattered. Her arm tightened around him. 

The Uchiha patriarch let his bloody hand slide from the pinkette’s head as a thought crossed his mind. His enemies might seek to exploit her, to use her against him. His features darkened, eyeing the bloody mess on the ground.

But who would inform them?

Dead men tell no tales.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so sorry for the delay!! This was a struggle to write and you can probably tell. I know this chapter was kind of dark but I want to stress that this is not the tone of the story! It’s just going to get dark from time to time because, well, Madara’s *supposed* to be a big scary demon. But for this most part, I’d say this is a pretty light-hearted fic, though I can’t guarantee anything because we’re four chapters in and I’ve already cut 50% of what I originally had written. Honestly, I don’t even know what I’m doing anymore. I hope I get better at this writing thing soon LOL
> 
> Thank you for reading!! I really appreciate you guys.


	5. How to Summon a Demon

Sakura stumbled forward as the powerful mass of body disappeared before her. The warmth was gone. He was gone. Without a single word.

“You can’t just show up after all these years and leave me again!” Sakura screamed into the air, voice hitching at the end. She was met with the eerie silence of the unnaturally empty forest, not a single living creature in sight. She stared blankly at the space in front of her, her throat tightening as bygone feelings resurfaced; hurt, abandonment. But she wasn’t the same wide-eyed vulnerable girl she was eight years ago, she reminded herself. So she swallowed the feelings whole. She clung to anger instead.

Although every cell in her body screamed to search for the demon, to demand answers that plagued her mind for so long, there were more important matters at hand. She had a mission to complete. Features hardening, Sakura scanned her surroundings with a new resolve.

When her eyes landed on the gruesome pile of flesh and blood that was Shinji Makoto, nausea rolled through her. She had seen her fair share of gore as a medic, but the sheer brutality of this was unsettling, especially knowing that it was done for her. Glancing away, she found a wrinkled piece of paper by her feet. She crouched down and turned it over. It was her map, with the addition of a circle drawn in blood, marking a location some distance away. Her jaw went slack.

_When did he…?_

She was willing to bet she knew where it would lead.

“Time is of the essence,” Sakura sighed under her breath, rubbing at her tired eyes with the only hand she could move. Crouching down, she smeared the residual blood off of her lips and slammed her hand into the ground, channeling chakra into her hand. A large explosion of white smoke appeared.

“Sakura-sama.” A giant grey falcon as tall as the human that summoned him emerged, flicking a feathered wing sharply. “How can I assist you?”

Sakura greeted the personal summon that she seldom ever called for. The bird of prey was reserved for dire straits, hell or high water situations on solo missions. It was her best-kept secret aside from the Uchiha patriarch himself; it was _their_ secret. A reminder of simpler times. And while this wasn’t necessarily an emergency, she knew that the missing-nin’s death would be discovered soon enough and his associates would likely go into hiding. She had to work fast.

“Can you scout something for me? I have the exact location. It’s a bit far from here but with your speed, it shouldn’t take too long. 

The falcon preened, feathers puffing up. “Of course, where would you like me to go?”

Sakura placed the map on the ground and pointed to the red circle. “This might be the area of a hideout I’m looking for. Let me know what you find. I’ll meet you on the edge of this town." Her finger drew down on the map, tapping the location. She clutched her limp arm, hoping the poison hadn’t gotten too far. “I need to take care of this.”

He nodded and swiftly ascended with a gust of wind, flapping his massive wings. Sakura watched her falcon get smaller and smaller until the starless indigo sky consumed him.

 

— x —

 

Tsunade raised a sleek blonde brow as her student placed a crinkled, bloodied map on the desk before her.

“Right here.” Sakura pointed at the location marked with a crude dark circle of dried blood. She straightened and crossed her arms. “I saw three unidentified men without headbands carrying an unconscious woman into the cave. The area itself has a defensive barrier surrounding it, about half a kilometer in each direction.”

Tsunade swept Sakura from head to toe with a critical eye. “This map is in a vastly different condition than it left in.”

“I was ambushed by Shinji Makoto.” She paused, dropping her arms and glancing out the window. “He’s dead.”

Tsunade’s amber eyes went sharp. “You eliminated him?”

Sakura hesitated for a brief second before meeting her teacher’s eyes. “Yes.”

“By yourself?”

“Yes,” she repeated, not batting an eyelash. Although the lie left a bitter taste in her mouth, there was no way she could tell the Godaime about Madara coming to her aid without consequential questions arising. She wasn’t hurting her village by omitting the information, she reasoned with herself.

A heavy silence filled the room as the two stared at each other, teacher and student, gazes unwavering. After a long moment, Tsunade leaned back. “Good. Perhaps you are ready for Anbu after all.”

As she finished her sentence, Kakashi hopped through the window, eyes crinkling when he caught sight of his former student. “Yo.” If he felt the tension in the air, he didn’t show it.

“You’re late.” Tsunade growled, shifting her attention to the habitually tardy copy-nin.

“Sorry, a pretty little cat crossed my path and I had to take care of her.” His normally impassive voice was laced with mirth.

Sakura rolled her eyes, muscles relaxing slightly. She was grateful that the spotlight was off her.

“Tch. I have a mission. Sakura has taken out Shinji Makoto and found the hideout of his operations. All that’s left is to infiltrate the base and free the captives. Sakura will take the lead and you will be her second. Gather the old Team 7.”

Sakura’s shoulders perked up despite her internal unease. She hadn’t seen her boys in a while. The team had been disbanded after the three went their separate ways, her under the tutelage of Tsunade, Naruto training with Jiraiya and Sai with Tenzō.

Kakashi’s gaze flickered to the pinkette. “Maa, Sakura-chan. That’s impressive.”

“I’ll relay the information to Naruto and Sai,” she said to Tsunade. “I’m sure they’ll be excited.”

Shizune burst into the office before Tsunade could respond. “Tsunade-sama! Kumo’s diplomat has arrived.” Spotting Sakura and Kakshi, the shorthaired brunette gave them a small wave then swiftly crossed the room.

Tsunade immediately stood and rounded the desk, shrugging on her fern-green haori as Shizune handed her a document with the trademark cloud symbol imprinted on the back. A frown settled on the older woman’s face while she scanned the document, taking purposeful strides to the door. Shizune followed closely behind.

“Take care of the preparations today and depart at dawn tomorrow,” Tsunade called over her shoulder to Sakura and Kakashi. When her fingers found the handle of the door, she stopped, turning her head slightly. “And Sakura.”

“Yes, Tsunade-sama?” The pinkette stared at the single kanji on her teacher’s back.

“I expect a detailed write-up of the events that transpired in Kirigakure.”

“Of course.”

 

— x —

 

“Sakura-chan, it’s been a while since we’ve all been on a mission together like this, huh?” Naruto, one of Sakura’s closest friends and confidant grinned. He was the last known kitsune of the Uzumaki, a once prominent and powerful clan of Konoha, capable of rivaling the Uchihas themselves. “I don’t see you around much anymore. At least Sai makes the time to spar with me.” His upturned lips turned down into a pout.

“Sorry Naruto,” Sakura shot the blonde an apologetic smile. “I’ve been busy with the hospital. As soon as I completed the cure for Suna, I was sent to Kirigakure to find the base we’re heading to.”

“Sakura seems to be the busiest among us lately.” Sai remarked with his usual contrived smile. Despite the years the trio had spent together, Sai still struggled to understand and express emotions, among other things, but he had made vast improvements since their genin days. Sakura still couldn’t believe he was dating her best friend, Ino. The two were like night and day.

Kakashi brought up the rear of the group a couple paces behind, face buried in his _Icha Icha_ book. “When was the last time you took a vacation?” He turned a page.

Warmth spread in Sakura’s chest. She missed being around the three, from Naruto’s boisterous personality, to Sai’s social awkwardness, to Kakashi’s perverted books. “I can’t remember, actually,” she laughed.

Naruto suddenly stopped, tilting his face up and breathing in deeply. He closed his eyes. “I smell blood. A lot of it. From the direction we’re heading in.”

Sakura’s smile dropped. Naruto’s kitsune nature allowed his senses to extend much further than a regular human’s. If it was the hideout that he scented blood from, then trouble was surely on the horizon. Her features hardened. “We’re still a ways off. Let’s pick up the pace.”

“Stay on alert.” Kakashi added.

The group doubled their speed, moving as a blur amongst the foggy wetlands of the Land of Water. A cohesive unit, molded from hardened years spent together as a team, through times of immeasurable grief and inconceivable triumph. They were a family.

When Team 7 arrived at the marked location, they found the cavern littered with dead bodies: men of various ages and battle scars, likely fellow missing-nins that worked under Shinji Makoto. Blood pooled on the floor and decorated the walls in a macabre sight. Sakura shuddered, a ripple of awareness running through her.

“I guess another group beat us to it,” Naruto grimaced.

Sai bent down to nearest body, placing two fingers on the discolored corpse’s neck. “It’s cold,” he remarked. Standing back up, he met Sakura’s eyes. “Possibly two or three days ago.”

Sakura nodded in confirmation, stepping away from the body she was examining herself.

Naruto crinkled his nose. “The smell is overwhelming. There’s got to be at least two-dozen bodies here. Do you think any escaped?”

“The captives might still be here.” Kakashi stepped over a body, walking deeper into the cavern to further examine the grisly scene.

“Kakashi-sensei, Sai, stay here and remain on guard. The team that did this might still be around. We don’t know what we’re dealing with here; if they’re enemy or ally, and we might be at a disadvantage in numbers.” Sakura’s face was grim.

The two nodded simultaneously.

“Sakura-chan and I will find the—” Naruto’s red-orange furred ear twitched and he immediately turned towards one of the tunnels in the far right corner. “I think I heard movement." 

“Let’s go.”

The two ran side by side down a long, twining passageway. At the end of the tunnel, they found a giant cage of metal. The door held a tiny slate at eye-height that could slide open. Naruto peered in, not finding a single source of light in the cage, but being a kitsune, his eyes allowed him to see in the dark. “Twelve,” he counted. Backing away from the cage, he turned to Sakura. “They’re alive.”

An audible whimper came from inside the cage.

The pinkette released a breath of relief, stepping forward to pull the metal door off its hinges with ease. Light shined into the cage, revealing a dozen girls dressed in rags and huddling together at the back in wide-eyed terror. One began screaming when she stepped in, stirring the group into frenzy. Sakura immediately raised her hands, looking stricken. “Please calm down, we’re here to free you.”

“R-really?” a particularly young looking girl with large hazel eyes stuttered from the shadows. Tentative hope shined in her eyes.

Sakura nodded, slowly backing out as to not startle the girls and waited outside. Slowly, they came out with tear-stained faces and trembling limbs, shielding their eyes, as they were unaccustomed to the light. Having heard the screams, Kakashi and Sai arrived a moment later.

“This is my team. We were sent here to help all of you,” Sakura assured them when one of the girls began backing up nervously.

Kakashi approached the group. “Do you know what happened out there?” he asked, not to anyone in particular.

A girl with violet hair stepped forward. “W-we don’t know. We couldn’t see anything. But there was screaming. So much screaming. Fighting. And then it went silent,” her voice wavered.

The four Leaf shinobi traded glances. Naruto’s tails swept side to side in agitation. Sakura turned to the girls. “We’ll escort you to the nearest village.”

 

— x —

 

A frown marred Naruto’s face as he toiled in his thoughts. “I don’t understand,” he groaned, “they just came in and killed everyone but didn’t free the captives. It makes no sense.”

“Those were no ordinary ninjas that were slaughtered,” Kakashi interjected his train of thoughts. “Whoever did this, whether it be a group or an individual, must be highly skilled.”

“Right, that’s why I don’t think it was the work of an individual,” Naruto countered. “Didn’t Tsunade obaa-chan say they were dangerous?”

“The injuries were uniform. It’s possible it was the work of one,” Kakashi said.

“Will this prove to be a threat to us?” asked Sai, who ran alongside the blonde kitsune.

“While they didn’t free the girls, they also didn’t harm them.” Naruto hummed. “For now, I’d say no. Besides, there’s not much we can do now without any leads. We’ll cross the bridge when it comes to it.”

Sai’s dark eyes shifted. “We’re almost home. There is no bridge on this path.”

“Sai…it’s an idiom.” 

“Oh.”

Sakura listened to the conversation but remained silent. She had a nagging feeling, an unease that settled in the pit of her stomach as she recalled the mangled bodies that littered the cavern floor. She knew who was behind it. And she would have her answers, one way or another.

 

— x —

 

Sunlight filtered through the leaves of the dense Konohagakure forests Sakura had grown up on. She ran through the trees with a singular destination in mind, wind flying through her long rosette hair, on a path as familiar to her as the faces carved into the mountain overlooking her village. With the successful outcome of the mission, Tsunade didn’t order a follow-up investigation to the incident in the Land of Water. It was exactly what Sakura was hoping for.

The glade held a lone cherry blossom tree. Sakura spent much of her youth under the tree. It held a plethora of memories that brought her both joy and sorrow. It was where she met her demon, where she lost him. It was the place she spent countless days waiting, hoping, and praying.

She never expected her prayers to be answered eight years later.

Sakura’s mind wandered back to Kirigakure as she touched the bark of the blossom tree. Feeling a phantom tingle in the tips of her fingers, she closed her eyes, listening to the whisper of the wind and the gentle rustling of leaves. After eight years, Uchiha Madara came back and left her in the same heartbeat, after tearing apart her opponent limb by limb. Then he beat her to the hideout of the sex trade and slaughtered everyone there as well. She didn’t have even a single ounce of doubt that it was the work of her crimson-eyed demon, who seemed to be best friends with death himself.

Countless questions flew through her head, but one stood out above the rest. How did he know where she was? Thinking back on her childhood, he always seemed to know when she was at their cherry blossom tree. She scanned the skies, not finding his tawny falcon. It couldn’t be just that. She used to also be able to feel his presence when he was near, but she hadn’t felt him in ages and she certainly didn’t feel him in the Land of Water.

How did he know she was in danger? She wracked her brain but couldn’t recall ever reading about a tracking or sensing ability that was distinctive to demons in her academy history books.

Her thoughts? It seemed plausible, but she didn’t think that was the case, considering how he used to ask her questions he would’ve known the answer to if he had that particular ability.

Could he sense her heartbeat? She had been in countless battles; her elevated heart rate shouldn’t have been out of the ordinary. But still, it was a possibility she couldn’t rule out.

Suddenly, a risky idea crossed Sakura’s mind. She could test it. She could stop her heartbeat for a few seconds to see if her theory was correct, but she would require assistance. The brain was capable of surviving a couple minutes without oxygen. Any longer than four or five would result in brain death. It was a dangerous, but as slim as the chance may be, if she had to stop her heart to summon the devil himself to get answers, then so be it. She wasn’t the same helpless girl he left behind. She’d force him to come herself.

Sakura sat down at the base of the tree, the same place that Madara sat in his dark brilliance on the fateful night she found him, and channeled a small amount of chakra into her hand to summon Katsuyu. A white slug with three teal stripes appeared in a small puff of smoke.

“Sakura-sama!”

“Sorry to summon you out like this, but I need you to help me with something. I know this is going to sound crazy but just trust me on this, okay?” Sakura smiled sheepishly.

Katsuyu blinked. “Okay, what is it?”

Sakura hesitated. “I’m going to stop my heartbeat for a couple seconds. I need you to start it back up.” If the legendary slug had facial expressions, Sakura was sure it would be disbelief right there and then.

“Might I ask what this is for?” Katsuyu asked carefully.

“I need to…test a theory.” Sakura bit her lip. “You have to leave immediately after you resuscitate me though.” 

“Why? What is the theory? And I have to stay to monitor your vitals.”

“Please, Katsuyu-sama. I can’t tell you anything about it right now. Just trust me on this. It’s of utmost importance to me.”

“But you will be vulnerable upon resuscitation.” 

“I’ll be completely safe here. I promise. I’ve already set up multiple barriers. If I need you, I can just summon you again.” Desperation leaked into her voice.

Katsuya stayed silent. 

“You know I would never do something this risky if I myself didn’t believe I could do it. Pease have some faith in me.”

“Okay,” Katsuyu’s agreed after a long silence, though her voice came out apprehensive.

“Thank you,” Sakura let out a sigh of relief. “Oh, and please don’t tell anyone about this. Not even Tsunade-sama.”

Katsuyu closed her eyes. “Your secrets are mine to keep.”

Sakura laid down and took a deep breath, staring up at the fully bloomed cherry blossoms. When Katsuyu climbed over her body and settled over her chest, she began. She encased her heart with chakra, feeling it take a steady beat, then another. On the third beat, she began to manually slow it down.

Her body’s instinctual survival mechanism kicked in instead.

Panic threatened to overtake her. Sweating. Shortness of breath. But she didn’t stop. Carefully applying force, she concentrated until her vision went hazy. Then, darkness greeted her with open arms.

 

— x —

 

Light assaulted Sakura’s eyes as she took a gasping breath. Oxygen filled her greedy lungs. She was greeted by with the sight of a furious demon. He hovered her, gleaming horns as black as midnight, eyes swirling crimson.

A choked laugh escaped Sakura’s parted lips. “It worked.” She stared at him in awe and disbelief.

“What did you do?” Madara growled, his rumbling voice deep and otherworldly. He scanned her body from head to toe searching for any physical injuries.

“So broccoli doesn’t work, but stopping my heart does,” the pinkette mumbled wryly under her breath while pulling herself up. She braced herself against the cherry blossom tree with feeble limbs, still light-headed from forcing her body to shut down.

Madara rose to his full, imposing height. “You rendered your heart useless for five seconds just to summon me?” he roared with a wrath that rivaled the gods themselves. “Natural selection should’ve taken you years ago!”

“You can’t call yourself natural selection!” Sakura snapped back. “Why are you going around killing my targets?”

Madara’s expression closed up. He neither confirmed nor denied the accusation. Instead, he turned around, making her heart spike.

“Don’t. You. Dare. Leave. Again,” Sakura whispered with deadly intensity. For years, she struggled to come to terms with the fact that he abandoned her. Someone she considered her dearest companion. She knew who he was, what he was, but none of that mattered to her. She cherished every memory of their time together but when they began to fester like a open wound, she buried them.

They resurfaced the first time he showed up. Now they threatened to overwhelm her.

“Madara,” Sakura growled when he didn’t answer, anger coursing through her veins.

The demon in question turned and raised a single brow at the lack of honorific, but didn’t comment on it. He felt the storm raging in her and welcomed the onslaught. Anger was better than sorrow.

Sakura took unsteady steps towards him, one after another until she stood only a couple inches from his chest. She had to tilt her head back to look him in the eyes, her fists clenched and unclenched with the urge to fight.

Madara took the moment to study her face up close. Her viridian eyes, while gleaming with indignation, were impossibly bright, reflecting her deep intelligence. The way she looked at him was different: sharp and calculating. Gone were the wide-eyed orbs of adoration. The child-like roundness of her face was also gone, replaced by delicate slopes and angles. Growing up had hardened her, but she still retained her soft edges. His eyes drew downwards. Her pouty pink lips were set in a straight line. He found an unsettling urge to touch them, to see if they were as soft as they looked.

Sakura grew up to be a beautiful young woman, he acknowledged. However, while the years had gone by, she was still tiny. The tip of her pink head barely reached his pectoral muscle. His eyes softened ever so slightly. He knew better than to let her size fool him. She was a formidable kunoichi, her strength as renowned as her medical capabilities.

“Are you going to kill me, little girl?” Madara couldn’t help but tease. “Take my head back to your Hokage to prove your worth?” He sensed the punched before it came, but the strength behind it still caught him off guard nonetheless. His tiny human truly did live up to her reputation.

Sakura tried to pull back her fist that was engulfed in the massive hand, but his fingers only tightened around her. “Let go.” she gritted out.

Madara obliged after holding her for another couple seconds. He gave her deceptively delicate fist a firm squeeze before releasing it, a reminder of what and who he was. Any other human would have been missing an arm by now, but he always did have a soft spot for this particular human.

Sakura jerked her hand back and shook it, a glare set to kill on her pretty face. Under his scrutiny, she suddenly felt like a child again. Emotions swelled in her throat as she struggled to find the words. Her anger was slipping from her grasp by the second. “Why did you leave me?” she asked finally.

Madara released a slow breath. He stared blankly over her head. “I had business to attend to.” His voice was low and cold.

“For eight years?! You could’ve told me you weren’t coming back!” Sakura lashed out, gritting her teeth. “I waited for you,” her voice dropped an octave. “I waited for so long,” an agonized whisper. Every word was laced with grief.

Something clenched painfully in Madara’s chest. She leveled him with a teary-eyed glower. He dropped down to one knee, a rare sight of the dark sovereign, so their eyes could meet more easily. “I had to,” he sighed, voice taking a softer edge.

“What do you mean you had to? You’re Uchiha Madara! No one can make you do anything!” she shouted in frustration.

His voice took a harder edge. “Yes, I am Uchiha Madara, the demon god, patriarch of the Uchiha clan. I am also the sworn enemy of Konoha, or have you forgotten? You think your people wouldn’t have found out eventually? You were a mere child.” He gripped her chin and tilted her face up. His oppressive power flared around him and encompassed her. “I did it to protect you.”

Hearing those words come out of his mouth, Sakura broke down and threw her arms around his neck. He stiffened immediately, having half the heart to stop her embrace like he used to when she was young, but suppressed the urge.

Warm tears tracked down her face and onto his throat where she pressed against him. “I don’t care,” it came out wet and muffled. “You’re not allowed to leave like that again.” She hiccupped. “Don’t make me break your knees.”

Madara’s lips twitched. Only his human could utter those words and get away with it.

“Promise me.” Sakura looked up, her large viridian eyes bore into his fathomless ebony depths.

The demon didn’t have the heart to deny her.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we are, around the halfway point of this little story. I took some time to reflect on my writing experience because I'm weirdly sentimental like that and I wanted to thank you guys for all the encouragement and support. Your feedback is incredibly valuable as I still have a lot to learn. Thank you for sticking around this far T^T.
> 
> I have some good news and bad news. Bad news: the next chapter will be delayed because my most anticipated game this year (Kingdom Hearts 3) is coming out in two days and my birthday is also next week. The likelihood of me writing is going to be slim. I'm sorry!! Chapter 6 will be up within two weeks. 
> 
> Good news: I do have half of chapter 6 written and for those that have been patiently waiting; the smut is about to begin!! Just a heads up though, there will be a small time skip. Mainly because I don't think I'm capable of writing Sakura and Madara's day-to-day life through X months to the point where they can finally be intimate. 
> 
> As always, thank you for reading!


	6. Temptation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Explicit sexual content

Through the following months, the unlikely pair slipped into an illusion of normalcy. As normal as a demon patriarch going in and out of enemy territory to visit his human could be. The fact that he was able to enter and remain in Konoha for extended periods of time, surrounded by high-level shinobi, and be completely undetected without the slightest effort was a testament to the depths of his power.

In their time spent together, Sakura and Madara caught up on the lost years. To Madara, the years were a mere blink in his lifetime, but to Sakura, it was an eternity. And thus, their reacquaintance consisted of Sakura rambling on about everything, from her daily life to her friends and family to her work at the hospital, while Madara silently listened.

As he always did.

When the season shifted, and the two once again grew familiar with each other’s company, the dynamic between them shifted as well. Sakura began to see her demon with different eyes.

Eight years had gone by. She was an adult now, with a different mindset and different feelings, different longings and desires. There was an undercurrent between them, electricity that lit the ends of her nerves whenever he was nearby. When she watched his powerful body move, akin to a graceful predator, she felt a faint stirring in her gut. She remembered how his hard muscles rippled under her touch, the sheer mass of his body, the power coursing through his veins. She even began to see him in her dreams, though she would never admit it. It was another secret of hers to keep tucked away from the world.

Sakura inherently knew that their connection was wrong, but she tuned out the voice inside of her head. Madara couldn’t be that bad, she reasoned with herself. Of all the times he killed, that she was aware of, the deaths were more than deserved. However, she wasn’t naïve enough to think his hands were clean of the blood of innocents in his long lifetime. She knew exactly what he was, but she also knew what he wasn’t. He had every opportunity to wreak havoc on Konoha and be the harbinger of death as the stories told, but the infamous demon that was supposed to kill humans on sight was the same one that indulged her childish whims with infinite patience. And he was just as lenient with her as ever, even after all this time.

Some things never change.

 

— x —

 

Sakura jolted awake as the felt the barriers of her apartment get breached through brute force. Her hand instinctively slid under her pillow and tightened around the hilt of the kunai she kept for contingencies like this. Her sharp eyes shot towards the clock on her bed stand.

3 AM.

“Sakura!”

The panic laced in the familiar voice had her scrambling to her feet and rushing towards the door. The sight of her living room made her blood run cold. Her fingers went lax. The sound of metal hitting the wooden floor resounded through the small room.

Propped against the wall, Naruto held a deathly pale, unconscious Sai. Blood pooled around them and seeped into the floorboards of her living room. The kitsune’s eyes were wide and frantic; his staggered breathing came out harsh, uneven. He was going through shock. Blood coated his hands, his face and his clothes, but the wounds on his body were already beginning to heal, as kitsune naturally healed at an accelerated rate.

Sai, on the other hand, was only human.

Sakura immediately went into medic mode; adrenaline rushed through her veins, blood roared in her ears. “What happened?” she asked as she quickly moved to take Sai from the blonde’s trembling hands.

Naruto didn’t budge an inch, refusing to remove his hands from Sai’s chest. “S-Sakura…there’s a hole. It won’t stop bleeding.” His breaths came out increasingly short. 

The color drained from Sakura’s face. “I need you to let go so I can take a look at it. I can stop the bleeding,” she coaxed firmly.

Clarity returned to Naruto’s eyes as he reluctantly released Sai into Sakura’s deft hands and sat back on his haunches. His cerulean blue orbs flickered with anguish. “I tried. I tried to stop the bleeding.”

Sakura bit back a horrified gasp when she saw the gaping hole in Sai’s chest; clean through, from his front to his back, just barely missing the heart. His heartbeat was terrifyingly weak and fading by the second. “He’s lost too much blood. How long ago did he sustain this injury?” There was so much damage, so much bleeding. Her hands glowed green as she focused her chakra to begin mending what she could.

“I have to stop the hemorrhaging. And fix his sternum. His lungs are damaged too, and he needs a transfusion immediately.” Sakura took in a slow breath to keep her mounting panic at bay. The sight of her teammate, her friend, her _family_ , knocking at death’s door had tears burning in the back of her eyes. Her heart felt like it was going to burst from her ribcage.

“I-I don’t know. I lost control of my mind. I brought him here as fast as I could.” Naruto stared at his motionless best friend, his brother. They weren’t connected by blood, but in every other way that mattered. “Can you perform the operation here? Should I run to the hospital and get help? You were closer and I didn’t know how much longer he had,” he rambled in near hysteria. “Should I have taken him to the hospital? We need blood. I messed up.” His eyes widened. “Sakura…you can save him, right?” Desperation coated every word.

“Yes. I can.” She willed herself to take even breaths. “And I will. Hang in there, Sai. Stay with us,” she whispered, her voice faltering at the end. She prayed to all her ancestors in the long lineage of Haruno medical prodigies to watch over them.

Naruto squeezed his eyes shut. He hated feeling helpless more than anything.

“It’s okay. It’s going to be okay,” Sakura murmured absently, concentrating on the arduous task before her. She pushed more of her chakra into her hands, which remained steady over the severe wound. “We can use my blood. I’m O-type. A direct blood transfusion will be the fastest way.”

Naruto released an audible breath of relief. He had full faith in her, even in the darkest times. It had always been that way in Team 7.

“I need you to assist me until he’s stable enough that I can take care of him by myself.” Sakura swiped at the light sheen of sweat on her forehead with the back of her hand. “You know where I keep my medical supplies. Grab me these items for the transfusion.”

Naruto nodded sharply, feeling invigorated that he could be of use, as Sakura listed off what she needed. With one final look at his best friend, he scrambled to his feet to retrieve the items.

Sakura turned back to Sai. The ghostlike pallor of his face made her chest tighten. Then, determination filled her. She had nearly a decade’s worth of chakra in her reserves. There was no way she would give up on him, even if she used every last drop. Leaning back, she bit her thumb and slammed her hand on the ground, summoning Katsuyu. “We’re going to get you through this, Sai.”

It was a promise.

 

— x —

 

“What’s wrong, human?” The first thing Madara noticed when he arrived at Sakura’s apartment was the darkness under her eyes, and then the slightly delayed movements of her muscles. Her vibrant, expressive eyes were typically what he sought out first. They were unusually lifeless today. He found it deeply unsettling.

“I have a name,” Sakura snapped, bone-deep exhaustion and stress making her ill tempered. Normally it didn’t bother her, in fact, she even grew to like the way he called her ‘human’. It was always in a warmer tone, a softer cadence than how he used it referring to her species as a whole. She moved from the small kitchen to the living room with a cup of steaming hot tea in hand. Taking a seat on her ivory sofa, she placed the mug on the table.

Madara briefly considered punishing her insolence, as he had before in the past months, but instead decided to silently watch. His punishments never erred on the side of life threatening with her. No one else, who survived them, could say the same. The word ‘punishment’ itself was a severe exaggeration when it came to her; he wasn’t sure why he was so lenient. Growing up had made her cheeky, but her smart mouth and sharp wit oftentimes amused him. 

Sakura tucked her legs against her chest and rested her chin in her knees. “I’m sorry. I’m just tired and a lot happened last night,” she admitted.

Madara waited, knowing that the pinkette had a tendency to share whatever was on her mind without any prompting. She had always talked enough for the both of them in her youth.

Just as he expected, Sakura continued. “One of my friends, Sai—I’ve told you about him—almost died last night. We would have lost him if Naruto didn’t bring him back in time. They were on a mission and got split up. Sai was attacked by two Swordsmen of the Mist,” she explained, a distant look in her eyes. “Naruto brought him straight here instead of the hospital. I was so scared that I couldn’t save him.” Her arms tightened around her legs

“So that’s why there’s a residual scent of blood,” Madara commented with an air of indifference, glancing at the floor.

Sakura sighed. “Really? All I can smell is bleach. I tried to clean up as much as I could but I’m too exhausted to do any more. My chakra is low. I need to sleep the rest of the day so I have the energy for tomorrow.” 

“Tomorrow?” He fixed his attention on her.

“They got away. Sai is out of commission so I’m taking his spot and going back with Naruto. We’re going to find them and finish the mission.”

Madara frowned. “Who exactly are _they_?”

“Kushimaru Kuriarare and Jinpachi Munashi. They’re an infamous duo known as the ‘Heartless Pair’. What a name, huh?” Sakura collapsed onto her back. “My head hurts,” she groaned, a grimace crossing her face.

Something flickered in Madara’s eyes. “Rest now. You humans easily sicken from overworking your frail bodies.”

“You’re leaving already?” Sakura pouted, ignoring his jab.

“Yes.”

“But you just came.”

“I have matters to take care of.”

With that, Madara disappeared.

He had a knack of doing that. She was going to have to talk to him about his social skills. 

Madara was a part of her life now. Not necessarily a constant—he was busy as the Uchiha patriarch, and she was a busy shinobi herself. She was initially worried that he would revert back to his icy demeanor, but was surprised to find that they fell into familiarity rather quickly. He came and went as he pleased, occasionally bearing small gifts, which surprised and delighted her. He even accompanied her on solo missions from time to time, just to keep her company.

Madara was an enigma.

She couldn’t begin to fathom why he indulged her, but all she knew was that she wanted to spend more time with him. His presence always had been strangely comforting for her and she could tell her companionship was gradually changing him as well. She wondered what he was like around others, around his people. He never spoke of them and she never asked. Some things were better left unsaid.

Deep inside, she felt an unfathomable yearning for something more. It terrified her.

 

— x —

 

“Obito.” Madara found the younger demon in the Uchiha council library by himself. He was the only other demon that had an extended history with humans outside of war, though his particular fate took a tragic turn that left him without an eye and half of a heart; a stark reminder of the fickle nature of humans. 

Obito should have clung to anger and hatred, should have demanded vengeance, but when Madara asked why he didn’t, his only answer was, ‘ _She wouldn’t want that. On her dying breath, she told me everything I needed to hear._ ’

Madara wasn’t familiar with the concept of mercy. He would have returned such slights tenfold.

Surprise flickered across Obito’s face when he caught sight of his clan leader. “Hello Madara-sama, I—”

“What do humans like?” Madara interrupted.

Obito slowly closed the well-worn book in his hands and made an attempt to hide the bewildered expression from his face. “Am I losing my mind or did you ask me a similar question last month?” He had convinced himself it was an outlandish dream, because Madara would never utter those words. Yet he was here now, in the flesh, asking nearly the same question.

Madara narrowed his eyes slightly. “You’re too young to be losing your sense of time. It was closer to a decade. Candy and other small trinkets were good suggestions, so tell me, what do humans like when they’re not feeling well?”

“As in they’re sick?” Obito asked carefully. Another question burned on the tip of his tongue but he didn’t dare ask. No one questioned Madara’s motives. Realization suddenly struck that his clan leader had been and was still trying to…appease a human? With gifts? His brain ceased functioning for a moment; the entire situation felt unreal. What other reason could Madara be asking for? Deception? He supposed it was a reasonable method of attack against humans. Speaking from an objective standpoint, their intellect seemed to be subpar.

“No.” Madara didn’t elaborate any further.

Obito started sweating. “I think, uh…something that would comfort them or ease their mind.”

“Hmm.” Madara pondered, deep in thought. “Something that would ease her mind.”

Obito instantly zoned in on the ‘ _her_ ’. He wondered what Madara was getting into with the humans, specifically, a woman. Then the dots started to connect. There were whispers, of a pink-haired Leaf shinobi. It seemed absurd to think that a great demon like Madara would spare his attention on a mere human outside of plotting their demise. His disdain for them was unrivaled.

Only time would tell.

“Thank you, Obito.” Madara nodded and left, leaving the young demon with more questions than answers.

 

— x —

 

The soft light of dawn peaked through the slits of the airy curtains in Sakura’s bedroom. Having slept a full and uninterrupted fourteen hours, she awakened feeling refreshed and ready to take on the day.

After her morning routine, she packed the necessary materials for the mission with Naruto, and then dropped into her kitchen to grab a quick bite.

“He better not be late,” she muttered to herself between mouthfuls of a green apple while putting on her sandals. Straightening, she opened the front door and found a black box resting on the ground right outside. It was highly unusual, considering her apartment had a mailroom.

_What’s this?_

She stuffed the apple in her mouth to free her hand. Bending down, she picked up the box and jiggled it. It was relatively light but with a decent mass. She opened the box and peered inside.

Then immediately dropped it, along with the half-eaten apple. 

Slowly, she backed into her apartment, eyes never leaving the two bloody human hearts that sat side by side in the box.

 

— x —

 

Madara appeared the following week.

“Sakura,” her demon called, his voice deep and gravelly, sin and power rolled in one.

An involuntary shudder ran through her. She was sure she would never grow tired of hearing the sound of her name on his lips. Shaking her head, she reminded herself that she was still angry with him. Tugging the towel tighter around her body, she briefly considered running to her bedroom to grab a robe, but her ire got the best of her, so she stomped out of the bathroom towards the sound of his voice.

“You.” She found his overly large frame on her sofa. “You killed them, didn’t you? And left their hearts at my door,” she accused.

Madara’s eyes traveled down her body slowly, appreciation filled his gaze. The corner of his lips tilted upwards. “Yes,” he answered as if it was the most natural thing in the world. He painted a striking vision of a smug, satisfied predator.

Sakura’s pinned the massive demon with a glare. “Why? You can’t just do that!”

Madara’s face went blank. “You did not like your gift?”

“Gift? You call that a gift?” Incredulity dripped from every word.

His eyes flickered crimson, then back to obsidian. It happened so fast that Sakura almost didn’t catch it.

“I thought you wanted vengeance on the two Swordsmen that hurt your friend?”

“I did but I don’t need you to fight my battles for me! I can handle myself! Do you know what kind of questions arise when two hearts appear at my door and two legendary swordsmen are found dead with their chests ripped out?!”

A heavy silence filled the air between them.

“I am well aware that you are more than capable. I only thought to ease your troubled mind. I do not enjoy seeing you in a vulnerable state,” Madara said, his voice low.

His words struck a chord in her. Her mind flashed back to the time he saved her in Kirigakure, raining down his wrath like the god of death himself, and then the cavern her team found littered with dead bodies. He was always trying to protect her, in his own morbid way.

Stepping forward, she wrapped her arms around him and burrowed her face in his abdomen. “You can’t keep doing this, Madara. I’m a big girl now. Let me fight my battles.”

Madara’s rigid muscles eased ever so slightly. He released a heavy sigh and pressed a hand on the back of her pink head. A wave of possession violently tore through him as he cupped her fragile skull. _Delicate. Humans were terribly delicate_ , he thought to himself. Unbeknownst to Sakura, his mangekyō sharingan spun ominously. He would never allow his human’s life to be endangered, and if that meant eliminating all possible threats without her knowledge, then so be it.

Next time, he would make sure the bodies were never found.

 

— x —

 

Something changed in Sakura after that day. 

There was _something_ in her eyes that Madara couldn’t quite place. He often caught her staring at him, her sea-foam green orbs glinting as she quietly observed him. She was always quick to look away and make an excuse whenever she realized he had caught her, cheeks tinted a pleasant rosy hue. She gradually became more forward, openly teasing him, occasionally with subtle sexual undertones. He brushed off her remarks easily enough but her stray touches were starting to rile a predatory instinct in him. She had always been hands-on—physically expressive—something that took him a while to grow accustomed to, but never had he felt temptation.

Until now.

On a lazy Sunday afternoon, the two could be found in Sakura’s small but cozy apartment. She had a myriad of plants to liven the living room, and a large floor to ceiling window that let in plenty of sunshine. Madara once suggested that it could be a security risk, but Sakura argued otherwise. Something about, “her home, her choices”, and how “the first asshole to break in would be carried out with a crushed sternum”. He found her tendency for violence oddly endearing.

Madara reclined on the ivory sofa, reading the latest missive he received from Izuna regarding the clan’s dealings in the South. Sakura was laying down with her head in his lap and a hefty book on medical ninjutsu in her hands. The silence was comforting, only the faint sounds of the busy market beneath her opened window to accompany their languor.

He enjoyed idle days like this. With her. As rare as they were.

He had fought many wars and taken many lives. Despite his reputation of being a bloodthirsty warmonger, which was true on most days, some days he simply felt weary. His brother frequently urged him to settle down, because “it would feel better to have someone to look forward to coming home to,” if he recalled correctly. The faces of a couple of his consorts flickered through his mind, but none of them in particular caught his interest. If he were to take a wife, she would be on the battlefield with him, not waiting at home, he decided.

The rustling of a turning page drew his attention to the offending bubblegum pink locks spread across his thighs.

Just for a moment, he let his guard slip. It was difficult to put his feelings for Sakura into words because he didn’t quite understand them himself. They were more instinctual than anything. Protectiveness mainly, perhaps some form of affection, and lately, a hint of desire.

Just as quickly as the thought began to enter his mind, he abolished it. It was ludicrous. For one, she was a human. He could never let the inferior species dilute the Uchiha bloodline. And second, the idea of an Uchiha with pink hair tottering around was more horrifying than anything he’d ever seen on the battlefield.

“So you’ve lived, what, a billion years?” Sakura hyperbolized, shaking him from the nightmare he was envisioning. “Surely you’ve tried more than just…women.”

Madara arched a brow, more so at the age bait than the implication behind her words. She enjoyed fishing for a reaction far too much. His hand engulfed in black flames, Izuna’s parchment combusting in an instant. “You don’t live as long as I do and stick with the same flavor your entire lifespan. But, you do develop a favored flavor.” His happened to be women.

“So what’s your sexual preference then?” Sakura ventured. She closed her book and sat up, listening with rapt attention.

“Often.”

 

— x —

 

The problem with having an active imagination was that left unchecked, it ran wild. Madara’s response elicited all sorts of wicked images from Sakura’s imagination. It even followed her into the unconscious realm; she found herself dreaming of her demon: his lips on hers, his powerful body above hers, his hot breathe between her legs…

She was going crazy.

The sexual tension between them was palpable. She felt it whenever they were together; the room charged with energy, her skin prickled with awareness. Madara, on the other hand, seemed to be indifferent to it, which simultaneously aggravated and relieved her.

At least he was sane enough for the both of them.

A small part of her couldn’t help but feel disappointed, but she didn’t take it personally. He was a demon, probably far too proud to feel attraction towards an “inferior species”. She couldn’t stand him sometimes.

That night, like previous ones, Sakura’s dreams were consumed by a particular demon. She jolted awake, skin fevered in arousal. This time, she decided to do something about it. She touched herself with his name on her lips, seeking to relieve the ache. She didn’t feel him or hear him, but suddenly he was there, a giant shadow with glowing red eyes and imposing horns at the foot of her bed. She gasped at the sight of him and quickly withdrew her hand from her soaked underwear, snapping her thighs shut.

“You called.” Madara’s voice was husky, dark and sensual.

Sakura felt herself clench with longing. “I…You…It’s not what it looks like!” Her heart was beating a million miles a minute.

“Do you require assistance?” he murmured, the edge of his lips tilting up slightly. The look of arrogance suited him.

“No, go away!” Sakura screamed, chucking a pillow at his head.

His low chuckle was her only warning before he appeared right next to her, grabbing the hand that was just inside her. Meeting her eyes, he kissed her damp fingers.

Then he disappeared without a trace. As per usual.

Sakura rolled over and buried her face in her pillow, screaming in embarrassment and mortification. Of all the times he decided to come, the Uchiha patriarch really just caught her pleasuring herself to the thought of him.

 

— x —

 

Sakura was hoping that Madara would be too busy to pay her a visit the next day, but the universe seldom worked in her favor. She could barely look at him in the eyes without turning five shades of red. If he found her behavior unusual, he never commented on it. In fact, he acted completely normal, like nothing transpired the night before. She was starting to think it was all a dream.

“Let’s spar,” Sakura exclaimed suddenly, wanting a good exercise to get the energy out of her system—and hopefully, get her mind out of the gutter.

“No.”

“Awe come on. There will be amendments to even the playing field.”

“Even if I was deaf and blind I’d still have the advantage.”

“Afraid of getting beat down by a human?”

“I see you have delusions of adequacy.”

“At least I’m not socially inept.”

“Predators don’t usually socialize with their food.”

Sakura pouted prettily, changing her tactic. “My birthday is coming up, you can’t say no.”

“Calling in early favors already?” Madara mused, his large hand ruffling her hair.

She was quick to slap his hand away, a scowl settled on her face. “Stop that. I’m not a kid,” she grumbled.

 _No_ , Madara thought, eyes scanning her face, then down to her soft curves. _Not anymore_.

“Alright. Let’s go.” He stood up, completely dwarfing the pinkette.

Sakura tilted her head back and met his heated gaze. Her pulse spiked. “Let’s go,” she echoed.

They arrived at an abandoned field on the far outskirts of the village. Madara placed a defensive genjutsu and sealed the area in the case that someone stumbled upon them. Under the heat of the blazing summer sun, he decided to remove his shirt.

Sakura’s jaw went slack. Her eyes roamed his muscular chest and broad shoulders, his chiseled abs, the tendons in his neck, his biceps…this was supposed to get her mind out of the gutter, not deeper in it. 

“What are we waiting for?” Madara called across the clearing, well aware of the effect he had on her. The demon in him purred.

Sakura groaned and slid her black sparring gloves over her fingers, wriggling them to make sure the fit was snug. “So here are the rules. You can only use taijutsu.” She stretched her limbs, bending over to touch the tips of her fingers to her toes. “No sharingan and no cheating.”

Madara scoffed. “Cheating?”

“No underhand tactics,” she clarified, her eyes twinkling.

“But I’m guessing you can?”

A cheeky grin appeared on her face. “Oh, I would _never_.”

 

— x —

 

They sparred for an hour, Sakura using every strategy she had, short of releasing her yin seal, in attempt to subdue him. But even with the handicap, it was impossible. He was untouchable.

A thin layer of sweat coated her body; she was struggling to catch her breath while he looked like he was just getting started. His regal obsidian horns gleamed in the sunlight. She had the sudden urge to touch them, but had learned in their time apart that it was an innately private and intimate act.

“Had enough?” Madara’s gruff voice was laced with amusement.

Sakura narrowed her eyes and charged at the demon without warning, kunai raised. Metal reverberated against metal. She channeled chakra into her legs, spinning for a high kick. Before she could make contact, Madara sidestepped and stopped her momentum with a steel grip on her ankle, making her lose balance and trip. He caught her just before she hit the ground and released her gently, hovering inches above her. 

“Okay, you win,” Sakura said breathily. She was starkly aware of his powerful body against hers. Her heart felt like it was going to beat out of her chest. Her eyes drew to his lips.

Feeling brave, she closed the distance between them.

Madara didn’t react. 

Frustrated by his lack of response, she bit his bottom lip until the taste of copper met her tongue.

In an instant, he flipped her over and pressed her chest against the soft grass. “Don’t fuck with me little girl. I fuck back,” he growled, pinning her arms behind her back.

“Maybe I want you to,” she whispered heatedly.

Caught off guard by her brazen words, Madara released her arms and stood, backing up a couple steps. Something dark flashed across his features as he looked down at her.

Sakura stood up, steeling her resolve. There were very few times in her life where she acted purely out of self-interest. Now would be one of those times. Stalking towards him, she let her hips sway and watched his eyes draw towards the motion.

“No,” his voice came out husky, sending a thrill of pleasure down her spine.

Throwing caution to the wind, she arched up on the tips of her toes, pulling Madara’s face down to her own. He had to hunch over to accommodate their considerable height difference. A breath caught in her throat as she came face to face with her demon. He was ruggedly handsome; his jawline sharp, nose strong, lips that looked far too kissable for her liking.

She closed her eyes and pressed her lips to his, gently. Madara gave in this time, responding by wrapping his arms around her waist to hoist her up. Her thighs spread as she wrapped her legs around his waist and locked her ankles on the small of his back. Fire danced along her spine.

“Please,” Sakura whimpered against his lips. 

Madara groaned, running his tongue along the seam of her soft lips. She let him in and their tongues met, hers hesitant and his dominant. He kissed her roughly, with an insatiable hunger, like he wanted to consume her whole.

She broke the kiss, panting softly. There was a burning heat in her belly, making its way down to her core.

Madara palmed her cheek with one hand and brought her lips back to his. His tongue swirled deftly against hers.

“I want you inside me,” Sakura keened, rubbing against him like a cat in heat.

Madara froze for a moment and breathed deeply, his tense muscles rippled under her touch. His lips found the pulse in her neck, confirming that this was real, that she was real. His cock strained painfully in the confines of his pants. He ached with lust, wanted to throw his little human down on the grass and rut her. A raw, primal energy hummed beneath his skin.

But he couldn’t. Not now.

She was ovulating. It filled his senses and drove him mad. The demon inside him wanted to claim her, mark her and fill her with his seed. It took every ounce of his willpower to hold back. He knew that if he started, he wouldn’t be able to stop. His control was barely leashed. She wouldn’t be able to handle him in this state for her first time. The last thing he wanted to do was hurt her, though that might be inevitable considering how small she was.

“Please, Madara,” Sakura whimpered.

The sweet sound of her begging triggered something inside him. He imagined ripping the flimsy clothes off of her body, forcing her onto her hand and knees and shoving his cock deep inside her. The hunger in him intensified.

Carrying her to a wide oak tree, he cupped her sex. She was soaked through her spandex shorts. He slipped past her shorts and slid his hand into her panties, cupping her bare, wet cunt.

“This belongs to me,” Madara growled.

Sakura gasped her agreement and grounded herself on his palm.

His finger teased her entrance, rubbing up and down, coating the digit with her liquid heat. Mewls of pleasure met his ears, urging him on. Slowly, he slid a finger inside her gripping heat, up to the second knuckle.

“Fuck.” She was unbearably tight. Her channel squeezed his finger like a lifeline. The thought of his cock replacing his finger in her tight little cunt almost made him lose control. “You like this?” He swirled his thumb on her clit, eliciting a choked response from the pinkette.

“M-more…I need more…” Sakura pleaded. Everything around them seemed to blur as her mind fogged with pleasure. The rough bark against her back was nonexistent.

Complying, Madara pushed a second thick finger into her slick channel, feeling her stretch around him. He curved his fingers slightly, rubbing against the sensitive nerves inside her, earning a reactionary squeeze. He began a steady rhythm, thrusting his fingers in and out, angling his hand so that his palm rubbed against her swollen clit with every movement.

Sakura bit his shoulder to muffle her cry and rode his fingers in earnest, lifting her hips and slamming back down on them. The inner walls of her muscles clenched around him. “Ma…da..ra!” His name spilled from her lips in broken moans. It was heaven to his ears.

He tilted her chin up and imprinted her beautiful face contorted with pleasure into his memory. She gasped as he curled his fingers, stroking deep inside her again and again. He peppered open-mouthed kisses on her neck and sucked at her pulse until it bruised, intentionally marking her.

Madara had countless memorable experiences in his long lifetime, but never would he have imagined that he’d be deep in enemy territory, fingers even deeper in a pink-haired human that fueled an unyielding fire in him.

With one final brush against her clit, she tightened around his fingers and came apart, gushing on his hand and soaking his fingers. Her small body shuddered in his arms as she came down from the high, eyes glazed over. She looked up at him with all the trust in the world.

Something in his chest clenched painfully.

Breathing heavily, he pressed a soft kiss on her lips and pulled his drenched hand from her shorts. Bringing the fingers that were just inside her hot cunt seconds ago to his mouth, he licked her come off thoroughly, one finger at a time, savoring her sweet cream. His eyes never left her face. 

Slowly coming out of the haze of pleasure, Sakura blushed furiously and hid her face in his neck.

Madara chuckled and stroked her hair. He would take pleasure in defiling her innocence one day, but today was not the day. Painfully aware of his straining cock nestled between her milky thighs, he abruptly let her slip to the ground.

Sakura was a vision on her knees; pink hair tousled, face rosy and glowing, pink lips swollen from his kisses. At eye level, she faced the thick bulge in his plants.

She licked her lips.

Madara swore under his breath.

He wanted to fuck her pretty little mouth, wanted to feel the muscles of her throat choke around his length, wanted to bury his hands in her hair and feel the suction of her lips around the base of his cock. He pinned her with a heated gaze, half yearning to ravage her lithe body on the ground and half dreading that if he let go to his base instincts, she would fear him. He was sure his primal urges would be overwhelming for humans, especially virgins.

Madara gathered Sakura’s pliant form into is arms and flashed to her apartment. “You’re not ready,” his tone held regret. Dropping her on the sofa, he disappeared.

— x —

 

A shadowy masked figure appeared behind the Godaime with a scroll in hand.

Tsunade crossed her hands behind her back and observed her village from the window of her office; the village that she grew up in, the village that her grandfather founded, the village that she now lead. She closed her eyes, feeling the warmth of the evening sun kiss her skin. The large windows were the only sources of light in the room at that moment.

“We were able to gather the intel you wanted from a survivor that had gone underground. It did in fact lead back to the Uchiha clan. Further identification and motive remains to be unknown.”

“Very well.” Tsunade turned her back to the light and faced the Anbu operative, a shadow casting over her face. “We begin.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HELLO I'M ALIVEEEE!!
> 
> Sorry this took so long T^T. If you follow me on tumblr, you know why. Coming in at over 6,000 words, this is the longest chapter I've ever written. Writing it was fun, for the most part. Editing it felt miserable due to the length. I'm sorry if I missed a couple things, I gave up on the third reread. This was my first time writing smut, so please don't be *too* critical. While I sure do enjoy reading smut, I've come to realize that it's really hard to write. How do writers have such a natural flow to their smut??? And an expansive vocabulary???? 
> 
> brain.exe has stopped working 
> 
> The plot (what plot?) will be taking a backseat for the next couple chapters while I attempt to write what this fic was destined to be. If you haven't already, PLEASE read the tags. They're there as a warning. It's going to get filthy. 
> 
> Thank you for reading!!


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